Tales of Mystery & Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe – Tales of Mystery & Imagination (1993)
Short Stories – 420 pages – my copy (paperback; 1993) bought for £2 from the Notting Hill Music & Goods Exchange during 2008
- 4 nods out of 5 -



Tales of mystery, of suspense, and all things that go bump in the night; Mr Poe is the undisputed narrator that has inspired and frightened generations of readers since the mid-nineteenth century. And quite right, too! He has given us stories of madness, of death, of mystery, of crime, and well as the down right silly.

This is the second encounter the Worm has had with Edgar Allan Poe: back in June 2011 he came across magnificent The Raven (a bona fide 4 nodder; click on the link below). Tales of Mystery & Imagination is a collection of short stories – and it is the short story that Poe is best known – ranging from the classic (‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘The Pit and Pendulum’ being two notables), with the maddening (‘The Black Cat’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’), along with adventuring solving tales (such as the book’s opener ‘The Gold Bug’; or as the contents page of the book refers to: ‘The Gold Buf’?!). All in all, Poe is seen by many as the inventor of shock, of the supernatural, of detective fiction, as well as dabbling in an early form of Science-Fiction; quite a CV for a man who married his cousin and died at the young age of forty.

The earlier stories, of crime-solving of the Sherlock Holmes variety (although written fifty years before Holmes’ inception, it must be remembered), are not Poe at his best. Although there is a soft spot for detective C. Auguste Dupin, the shock and the horror that Poe is famed for is absent. The book slowly moves towards darker material, whilst keeping that spirit of suspense alive.

Poe’s art has been discussed and analysed heavily in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’; with its hidden messages behind the gothic description. The idea of the “living dead” crops up in many of the stories, including ‘The Premature Burial'; whilst the idea that your past and conscience cannot be put to rest are explored fantastically in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ and ‘The Black Cat’. Undoubtedly Poe had an eye for the majestic and descriptive, as affirmed in the beating of the murdered man’s heart beneath the floorboards, driving the killer beyond sanity.

It is shame for those who gathered the stories together to miss what the Worm considers his favourite Poe short-story: 'William Wilson'. Think a nineteenth-century version of Fight Club, and you’ll be on the right track! Another absentee is the darkly philosophical ‘The Imp of the Perverse’. But that would be picking a fight with those who collated the stories together – yes, you editors at Penguin Classics! – rather than with Poe himself. The writer has left a treasure trove of quality stories to read; some are 5 nod gold standard, others of the weaker nodder variety. But nobody, and the Worm means NOBODY, forgets Poe once they’ve read one of his stories.

Buy it here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Mystery-Imagination-Edgar-Allan/dp/0861366522/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323257658&sr=1-11

Read the Worm’s review on The Raven:http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/06/raven-edgar-allan-poe.html)

A good website about Poe’s work:http://www.poestories.com/

The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities & Politics - David Starkey

David Starkey - The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities & Politics (1985)
History – 150 pages - my copy (paperback; 2002) borrowed from the University of Plymouth library during November 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -



In 1509 Henry VIII became the new king of England. Thomas More wrote on this significant occasion: ‘This day is the end of our slavery, the fount of our liberty; the end of sadness, the beginning of joy.’ Little did More know that his very own end would come by the hand of Henry, and that the ‘fount of liberty’ would run dry.

David Starkey is known today as one of the eminent historians on the Tudor period. This small, compact book – a mere 150 pages – is one of Starkey’s very first. It is a glimpse into the major personalities of Henry’s court, from the start of ‘A New Age’ to his end when he became ‘Egg-shaped’ in features, and a ‘Humpty-Dumpty of a nightmare’.

The major points of his reign are referenced and discussed, including the dynamism of the early years, the war with France, leading to the peace of France and later chaos brought about by the divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Starkey doesn’t attempt to paint a panoramic picture of England in this time, contenting himself to the chief figures in the royal court. We are given a run-down of Henry’s “minion’s”, of Thomas Cromwell, and Anne Boleyn herself. The greatest importance is reserved for Cardinal Wolsey, a man who held great sway for close to fifteen years. Starkey labels him ‘one of the most famous statesmen in English history – second only to perhaps Churchill’. Whilst he sums up such a statement by commenting: ‘Being famous for five minutes is one thing; being famous for 450 years is quite another.’

For those who wish to know more about Henry VIII, don’t begin with Starkey’s book. It is a read with little illumination, and sparse on excitement. Perhaps it was written in a time before Starkey built up that pompous wit and attacking tongue he is known for; the Worm is unsure to which Starkey he prefers.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reign-Henry-VIII-Personalities-Politics/dp/0099445107/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323257713&sr=1-1

Henry VI: Part Three - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare - Henry VI: Part Three (1591)
Play – read on the fantastic Shakespeare iPhone app during November 2011
- 4 nods out of 5 -

We’ve mulled over Part One; we’ve discussed and rejoiced over Part Two; now here comes the third instalment: Henry VI, Part Three! That’s right, three plays centring on a failed and almost forgotten king. Perhaps this would seem a tad excessive to the modern reader; but to Mr Shakespeare, the reign of Henry VI was momentous in providing the fall of honour and chivalry, of the Wars of the Roses, and the eventual triumph of the Tudors and seeming redemption of England.

With Henry having lost all the French lands (Part One), and then his most trusted advisors (Part Two); all out war is declared between his house (Lancaster, the Red Rose) and that of York (the White Rose). The ever scheming Duke of York is on the march, his fortunes rising and receding with the changing of the seasons and the movement of the sun. The Duke has plotted for two whole plays, and is now eager to wear the English crown: ‘Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest / Until the white rose that I wear be dy’d / Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry’s heart.’

With the death and carnage of the previous plays, there are vendettas and revengeful killings to be had. Clifford is out to avenge his father’s death: ‘The sight of any of the house of York / Is as a fury to torment my soul; / And until I root out their accursed line, / And leave not one alive, I live in hell.’ Clifford finds satisfaction in the killing of one of York’s innocent youthful sons, before stabbing his sword into the Duke himself. Defeated and in torment, a paper crown is placed upon his head, as he dies at the feet of Clifford and Queen Margaret:

‘Off with his head, and set it on York gates,
So York may overlook the town of York.’

Whilst the death toll mounts as high as a Die Hard movie, King Henry finally comes into his own, philosophising over the civil war that has ripped his family, friends and country apart:

‘The battle fares like the morning’s war,
When dying clouds contend with growing light,
What time the shepherd, blowing of his nails,
Can neither call it perfect day nor night.
Now sways it this way, like a mighty sea
Forc’d to retire by fury of the wind.
Sometime the flood prevails, and then the wind;
Now one the better, then another best;
Both tugging to be victors, breast to breast,
Yet neither conqueror nor conquered;
So is the equal poise of this fell war.’

It is a homily to rival that of Hamlet or Richard III; and it is clear to see how Shakespeare made his name in this line of plays on Henry VI. As our ill-fated King continues on hearing of suffering:

‘O piteous spectacle! O bloody times!
Whiles lions war and battle for their dens,
Poor harmless lambs abide their enmity.
Weep, wretched man; I’ll aid thee tear for tear,
And let our hearts and eyes, like civil war,
Be blind with tears, and break o’ercharg’d with grief.’

Such words are in contrast to the previous two plays, when Henry is nothing more than a lame duck, watching chaos descend all around him and unable to do anything; he is a mere spectator to events, and his commentary on the state of affairs is not heard nor anywhere to be seen. Perhaps this is Shakespeare’s evolution of Henry’s character, from mere boy king, to naïve ruler of factional squabbles, to become the philosopher king on the ruin of his country. But alas, the time is too late to merely discuss; and this is the reason for Henry’s demise at the hands of York’s sons.

The Duke of York’s son, Edward, becomes king; but soon faces an almighty coalition in the form of Queen Margaret, Warwick (“the Kingmaker”), and the Duke of Clarence, Edward’s very own brother. But they are no match for these sons of York, and the sheer weight of Richard, whose sun is now burning bright. Clarence double deals with his brothers, whilst Warwick dies; leaving Henry to lament: ‘Farewell, my Hector, and my Troy’s true hope’

The house of Lancaster is snuffed out, and the house and sun – indeed, the sons – of York prevail with Edward defending his throne. But fitting for an end of one of Shakespeare’s plays, all is not well. The King’s brother, the spiteful Richard, lets in the reader to his secret: to covet the crown himself. The ominous ending, as with the previous plays of Henry VI, lead to the mayhem and disaster that befalls in Shakespeare’s Richard III. The Worm reads on, in search of the final redemption and justice of the house of York.

The Holocaust: For Beginners - Bresheeth, Hood & Jansz

Haim Bresheeth, Stuart Hood and Litza Jansz - The Holocaust: For Beginners (1994)
Illustrated History – 180 pages - my copy (paperback; 1994) borrowed from the University of Plymouth library during November 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -



Readers of the Worm’s very recent reviews out there might have noticed a slight slant towards the period of Nazi Germany. We’ve had Taylor’s The Course of German History and then a chronology of Hitler’s life and times. The next instalment: The Holocaust.

The death of millions is never an easy historical period to approach: many documentaries, books and films have been criticised for trivialising or not getting to the heart of the matter and failing to represent the tremendous loss of life. At first glance, The Holocaust: For Beginners appears to fall into the same camp. Normally “beginner” books are for those who wish to cook pasta dishes, speak French or learn how to play the guitar. However, the series from Icon is intent on dealing with galaxy-sized issues to the uninitiated reader. For example, how about: Feminism: For Beginners, Marx: For Beginners, Ecology: For Beginners, and yes, The Universe: For Beginners.

In the space of 180 pages these authors are able to use a sparse amount of wording to get across a great amount of information. This, along with its illustration, is the book’s key to a certain amount of success. The timeline stretches from the Dark Ages (‘the guilt of the Jews’), through to the twentieth century; whilst the major events of the Nazi period are headed, including: The Warsaw Ghetto, The Industrialisation of Mass Murder, and The Killing Centres.

The illustrations are in stark black and white. One such harrowing image is that of compacted dark, gloomy faces in a train, the running caption reading: DOES ANYONE REALLY BELIEVE THAT OUR CRIES WERE NOT HEARD? Yet some of its most striking pages are a sparse amount of text; take for example page 24:

1. You have no right to live among us as Jews.
2. You have no right to live among us.
3. You have no right to live.

During the timeline of the 1930s and 1940s there is little in the way of analysis: that is left to the reader to decide. The final pages are dedicated to a surprisingly in-depth conclusion, about revisionist historians, Holocaust deniers, as well as modern parallels on how the Israeli state treats Palestinians. Will anything ever be learned from History?

It would be false to claim that this book stands toe-to-toe with other, meatier, heavier books on the Holocaust. But, that is not its aim. It is an introduction to the horror and the timeline, allowing the reader to move onwards after reading in search of more truths in this haunting period of human history.


But it here:
http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Holocaust_for_beginners.html?id=yuCSQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Hitler: A Chronology of his Life & Time - Milan Hauner

Milan Hauner – Hitler: A Chronology of his Life and Time (2008)
History – 220 pages – my copy borrowed from the University of Plymouth Library and read during November 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -



Another book on Hitler? The author, Milan Hauner, is the first to put his hands up, commenting: ‘Thousands of books have been written about Adolf Hitler, and yet more will be written.’ But why outpouring after outpouring? Hauner is keen to point to another author’s statement that: ‘We are not finished with Hitler yet.’ Yes, not finished by a long chalk.

The Worm, like many others out there in Book-Reading-Land, has done more than his fair share of Hitler-reading, including the good, the bad and the ugly. But something always draws us back for more. An explanation of how it came to be, analysis of Hitler as a man and a leader. It is the great human quest to continue to ask: WHY?

Hauner is one of many thousands of other authors who have attempted such explanation. However, where this book deviates is its complete lack of descriptive narrative and analysis; but rather a mere chronology of events and facts. At first, the reader may ask what is the point in such a task? In the words of W.G. Hoskins, it is the mere meat and potatoes of History; and not the finalised cooked meal. But the Worm argues that it is just this reason that makes Hauner’s book so readable and worthy. It is down to the reader to analyse, to investigate, and see the woods for the trees.

And to be fair, it is not a mere, drab recording of Hitler’s life (from day one as a baby to the cyanide death in the Berlin bunker), but rather a fantastic collection of quotes and events. We, the reader, are with Hitler, day by day, as he jets off to campaign for more votes across Germany, as he calls in the generals for the invasion of Soviet Russia, and in his manic, rabble of an end as he spits against those who have conspired against him.

For example, here a couple of selected quotes from the mind of Hitler that Hauner sees fit to place in the book:

23 May 1939
Hitler tells Raeder he recognises three kinds of secrets:
‘The first is between you and me, the second I keep secret to myself, and the third concerns problems of the future which even I have not completely thought through to their logical conclusion.’

3 September 1939
Britain and France declare war on Germany. Paul Schmidt describes Hitler’s reaction:
‘Hitler sat immobile, gazing before him. He was not at a loss, as was afterwards stated, nor did he rage as others allege. He sat completely silent and unmoving. After an interval, which seemed an age, he turned to Ribbentrop… “What now?”’

11 August 1941
‘I shall no longer be there to see it, but I rejoice on behalf of the German people that one day we will see England and Germany marching together against America… They have an exampled cheek, these English! It doesn’t prevent me from admiring them. In this sphere, they still have a lot to teach us.’


And perhaps the most ghastly and horrifying of all:

17 October 1941
‘We’ll take away its character of an Asiatic steppe, we’ll Europeanise it. With this object, we have undertaken the construction of roads that will lead to the southernmost point of the Crimea and to the Caucasus. These roads will be studded along their whole length with German towns, and around these towns our colonists will settle… I shall no longer be here to see all that, but in twenty years the Ukraine will already be home for 20,000,000 inhabitants besides the natives. In 300 years the country will be one of the loveliest gardens in the world. As for the natives, we’ll have to screen them carefully. The Jew, the destroyer, we shall drive out… We shan’t settle in the Russian towns, and we’ll let them fall to pieces without interrupting. And, above all, no remorse on the subject! We’ll confine ourselves, perhaps, to setting up a radio transmitter under our control. For the rest, let them know just enough to understand our highway signs, so that they won’t get themselves run over by our vehicles! For them the word “liberty” means the right to wash on feast days. If we arrive bringing soft soap, we’ll obtain no sympathy.. There’s only one duty: to Germanise this country by the immigration of Germans and to look upon the natives as Redskins. If these people had defeated us, Heaven have mercy! All those who have the feeling for Europe can join us in our work. In this business I shall go straight ahead, cold-bloodedly. What they may think about me, at this juncture, is to me a matter of complete indifference. I don’t see why a German who eats a piece of bread should torment himself with the idea that the soil that produces this bread has been won by the sword. When we eat wheat from Canada, we don’t think about the despoiled Indians.’


These quotes and events – the entirety of Hitler’s life summed up into two hundred pages – gives a fresh insight into the mind of the man; its development and its projection on the entire world. Hauner’s selection is terse to the point, but yet it opens a window of discussion, of debate, and reflection that is expansive and wide.

For those who cannot get enough of the Nazi period and cannot resist asking the question: WHY, Hauner’s chronology is a must-buy for the book shelves. An enjoyable and worthwhile read; if not the cooked meal of Hoskins’ statement, then a well arranged and colourful plate of informed and seasoned salad.


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.ca/Hitler-Chronology-his-Life-Time/dp/0230202845

Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons – Watchmen (1987)
Graphic Novel – 420 pages – borrowed from the Comic Library of Colin Channon, read during November 2011
- 5 nods out of 5 -




‘Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.’

And so begins an except from Rorschach’s journal in the first panel of Watchmen. Never heard of this book before? Allow the Worm to enlighten you. Watchmen was a twelve issue comic book in the mid-1980s, cryptically and hauntingly written by Alan Moore (yes, he of V for Vendetta) and wonderfully illustrated by Dave Gibbons (and how about a shout out for the colourist, John Higgins). It is set in an alternate 1985: Nixon is still president of the United States, costumed heroes once patrolled the streets of the cities, and nuclear war with the Soviet Union is close on the horizon.

The writing is indepth and intellectually challenging, and the art-work can make the reader gawp at the page for minutes on end. A thriller and film-noir in comic form, Moore and Gibbons take the reader on a page turner of a mystery centring on a group of former costumed heroes. One of them, The Comedian (a neo-Nazi of a man, yet intriguingly intimate) has been killed and Rorschach is out to find out who is behind it.

The gang includes the spectatclar (Dr Manhatten) and the not so sublime (Nite Owl and Silk Spectre); with a great range of back-stories and flashblack utlisied. As Rorscach - by far the most interesting and disturbed character of Moore’s creations – treads deeper and deeper, a frightening plot is revealed. The ending is one to test the reader’s own moral view-point: what price is peace? And do the means ever justify the end?



The combined issue graphic novel format has a great attention to detail, including fictionalised excerpts of autobiographies, pages from toy catalogues, and interviews with some of the main characters. All in all, it makes this edition a treasure trove of a read; and after borrowing this read, the Worm is intent on buying his own copy for the vaults.

Watchmen is not a read to be missed. Not a fan of comic books? (or “graphic novels”, as us snobs wish to call them) - then the Worm orders you now to forget any previous reading inhibitions and pick up a copy today. It won’t save your life, but it might make you a better person.





Buy it here today:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watchmen-Alan-Moore/dp/1852860243

The Course of German History - A.J.P. Taylor

A.J.P. Taylor – The Course of German History (1945)
History – 270 pages – my copy (paperback; 2007) borrowed from University of Plymouth library
- 4 nods out of 5 -



Written during the end of the bloody and shattering Second World War, A.J.P. Taylor’s The Course of German History is a polemical condemnation of the German nation. Condemnation of its militaristic need to seize land and expand; condemnation of its leaders; and condemnation of its very own people. Hitler, Taylor controversially argues, is a natural progression from Bismarck in the 1800s.The falling bombs and advance of the Soviet army into Nazi Germany is almost predestined; as Taylor states eloquently in the book’s final sentence:

‘The “many great nations”, whom Bismarck had dismissed with scorn, now sat in the seats of Frederick the Great, of Hitler, and of Bismarck himself. German history had run its course.’

Such a viewpoint was reconfirmed in the first paragraph of the preface from 1961:

‘…it shows that it was no more a mistake for the German people to end up with Hitler than it is an accident when a river flows into the sea, though the process is, I daresay, unpleasant for the fresh water.’

Much of Taylor’s work has now been discredited. But the author excels in stirring up a debate, on adding new interpretations, and entertaining his readership. The writing style is lively and engaging; Taylor truly has the novelist’s touch for drama. For example, read his description on the murder of the socialist leaders in 1919:

‘…the “Free Corps”, organisations of out-of-work officers, who would fight against anyone – at first against the Spartacists and Independents, later against any democratic movement, true condottieri, without any principle or belief other than that of the bullet in the back. These gentlemen, deprived of the pleasures of foreign domination, asked nothing better than to slaughter German workers and liberals; and it was officers of the Guards who murdered Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg brutally and without excuse, and also without protest from the Social Democratic government. The Sparticists were broken; but broken too was the life of the German republic.’

Taylor takes the read from the end of the 1700s, through Bonapartist Germany, the rise of Prussia and the forging of the Second Reich, of the burning defeat in the First World War and the uncertainty that came from the Weimar years.

Typical of Taylor, he has divided the past two centuries into emphasised dates (such as chapter 10 the rule of the German Army, 1916-19); whilst the reoccurring divide is that of the “two Germanies”: the past of princes and paupers; of Hohenzollern Prussia and Habsburg Austria; of the Catholic south and the Protestant north. It is almost fitting – in a somewhat morbid sense – that at the book’s close the two Germanies theme continues with the split between West and East.

But had German history run its course in 1945? No, of course not. The river would keep flowing, through the pain and suffering of the Cold War to a reunion once more in 1990. The united Germany is now a pillar of the European Union, a potential force of good in the coming uncertainty of the twenty-first century. Such a reunion was beyond Taylor’s knowledge and remit; but the historian is never positive about Germany’s future, being more in the camp of dividing and weakening this colossus rather than endure the pain of a potential World War Three.


Buy it here and pick your side of the argument!:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Course-German-History-Routledge-Classics/dp/0415254051

Read more about Taylor here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._P._Taylor

Henry VI: Part Two - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare – Henry VI: Part Two (1591)
Play – read on the wonderful Shakespeare iPhone app during October 2011
- 4 nods out of 5 -

Everything comes in ‘a trilogy’ these days: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, X-Men and even (sigh) Transformers. It seems that Hollywood isn’t content to bore us with just one instalment; the “fun” must be spread over a series of years to keep us entertained (and also keep toy manufacturers in business during the Christmas season).

But here is a trilogy before George Lucas, before Frodo set out on his journey across Middle Earth, before film was invented and before crappy merchandise was utilised to its awful full potential; a trilogy written by the man, the genius, the writer himself: William Shakespeare. Regular readers of the blog may have glanced an eye across the review of the first part of this series, on which Henry comes to the throne and squanders his father’s inheritance of the French lands. Tensions are bubbling beneath, between the rival houses of Lancaster and York. Part Two is where the shedding of blood begins.

The second part of a trilogy can sometimes bring greater rewards than the original (notably Godfather Part II), and Shakespeare himself pulls off a similar trick here. After laying the ground work of potential friction, he gets to town in this play in destroying and laying havoc to the hefty character list (the largest in any Shakespeare play). The house of York are on the rise, and intrigue against Henry’s closest advisors; the first to feel the force of York is Henry’s trusted uncle, Gloucester. Facing trumped up charges, the moral compass of Part One is isolated and victimised, before being murdered to remove him from the picture all completely.

‘Ah, thus King Henry throws away his crutch
Before his legs be firm to bear his body.
Thus the shepherd is beaten from thy side,
And wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first.’

Rivalries continue from Part One – such as that between York and Somerset – before being settled in York’s favour; all while Shakespeare demonstrates the flair and ability that illuminates his later masterworks. In ridding the king of his companions, York goes further to stirring up rebellion in the person of Jack Cade, who he hopes will set the match alight to provide his triumph over Lancaster. The comedy element of the play comes in the form of the rise of the rebellion of Jack Cade, and in his stirring cries to his rabble:

CADE:
My father was a Mortimer –

DICK (aside):
He was an honest man, and a good bricklayer.

CADE:
My mother a Plantagenet –

DICK (aside):
I knew her well, she was a midwife.

CADE:
My wife descended of the Lacies –

DICK (aside):
She was indeed a pedlar’s daughter, and sold many laces.

CADE:
Therefore I am of an honourable house.

DICK (aside):
Ay, by my faith, the field is honourable, and there was he born, under a hedge; for his father had never a house but the cage.

CADE:
Valiant I am.

DICK (aside):
‘A must needs, for beggary is valiant.

Cade leads a bloody rampage in London, yelling out to his rebels: ‘Up Fish Street! Down Saint Magnus’ Corner! Kill and knock down! Throw them into the Thames!’ All before being put to flight and ignominious death after a rousing speech delivering by Henry’s confidant, Clifford; reminiscent of the fate suffered by Brutus after the murder of Julius Caesar.

All of the mayhem, the killings and murders finds it climax when the royal families take sides at the battle of St Albans. York returns from Ireland to claim what he believes his rightful inheritance, and all “kicks off” in true, bloody Shakespearian style.

York and Clifford - the saviour of the rebellion – come to fisticuffs in a fight. York tells him: ‘I am resolved for death or dignity.’ Clifford responds: ‘The first I warrant thee, if dreams prove true.’ But yet York retorts: ‘You were best to go to bed and dream again…’ The fight ends in Clifford’s death; whilst elsewhere on the field of battle York’s son – the future Richard III – kills York’s bête noir, the Duke of Somerset under the sign of the Castle Inn.

Fearing all is lost, Henry flees with his remaining troops back to London. The victorious York calls on his support and asks the Duke of Warwick: ‘What says Lord Warwick? Shall we after them?’ Warwick concludes on a cliff-hanger:

‘After them! Nay, before them, if we can.
Now, by my faith, lords ‘twas a glorious day.
Saint Albons battle won by famous York
Shall be eterniz’d in all age to come.
Sound drum and trumpets, and to London all,
And more such days as these to us befall!’

Such an ending beautifully sets up the scene for the third and final part of Shakespeare’s Henry VI. The sides have formed, the Wars of the Roses has begun. And what is to become of King Henry and the Duke of York? Stay tuned to future editions of the Four Eyed Book Worm to find out.

Killer Contract: Blood Bowl - Matt Forbeck & Lads Helloven

Matt Forbeck & Lads Helloven - Killer Contract: Blood Bowl (2009)
Comic Book – 130 pages – my copy read whilst staying at the Channon residence, October 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -



For those readers who have been with the Worm since Day One (now, now; don’t be shy – raise a glass to many a pompous book review over the past two years), then you may have read the review on the novel based on Blood Bowl in 2009. And just what is Blood Bowl? A quick recap for other readers of this blog in recent months: Blood Bowl is a dice-game produced by the Games Workshop, in which the player is a coach of a football team with the aim of scoring touch-downs, and perhaps more importantly: killing the entire opposition. Sound like your cup of tea? Well, read on…

Matt Forbeck was hounded in the previous review of his debut novel (simply titled Blood Bowl). The Worm gave the book a meagre 1 nod out of 5, thus entering the sin-bin of reading and winning that book-reading season’s Shredder Award for Crime’s Against Literature. Poor Mr Forbeck, the Worm hears you muttering. But his latest dabbling in a graphical representation of the unique fictional universe strikes an immediate nod with the reader. Blood, guts, grass and grime: all of these things are brought to life on the page by the efforts of the artist, the wonderfully named: Lads Helloven. The reader is able to feel involved in the progress of the Bad Bay Hackers team as they set off to win the Blood Bowl Championship.

But the spanner in the works? (For there is always a spanner in the works, dear reader): Matt Forbeck himself. The plot is tired and predictable, the dialogue is terrible and clichéd. This is the fifth or sixth story containing the Hackers, and this team always seems to win, becoming the James Bond of fantasy football teams. Each turn of the page brings the inevitable result; with the reader turning ever closer to a sadist in wishing the demise of the book’s “hero”, Dunk Hoffnung.

The formula has gone wrong somewhere. Here we have an interesting idea about psychotic sporting players who chainsaw one another to death, and yet the writer appears settled to make the reader pay for this interest in terms of a stale plot and pointless padding. What if we were to see a different team, away from Mr Hoffnung and the fortunate Bad Bay Hackers: of the Orcs, of the Dwarves, of Elves, of Vampires, and, well, the reader gets the point. A different side to shake up the action.

As the Worm expressed in the earlier review on Forbeck’s novel, he will return for more. A glutton for punishment: oh no! But rather a dedicated fan of the game of Blood Bowl. Yes, he will be back – hoping Mr Forbeck has got his act together in order to produce a real work of interest.


Read my review of Matt Forbeck’s initial novel right here:
http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2009/07/blood-guts-blood-bowl-by-matt-forbeck.html

Buy Killer Contract here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killer-Contract-Blood-Matt-Forbeck/dp/1934506346

British History to the Protectorate - New Joy of Knowledge Encyclopaedia

New Joy of Knowledge Encyclopaedia – British History to the Protectorate (1990)
History – 70 pages – my copy (hardback; 1990) read during September 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -

Many years ago, gentle folk would seek out on their pursuit of knowledge by ordering large volumes of books – let us call them encyclopaedias – which in many cases were delivered direct to the front door. They promised new windows into the worlds of art, of history, of science, of geography, of all that humankind had to offer. One encyclopaedia a month, at ten pounds a turn, for fifty to one hundred months; bit by bit the collection and, not forgetting, the knowledge of the owner would grow…until one day (normally when the cash balance was significantly lowered) the owner would compete with Einstein-like intelligence.

Fast forward to the twenty-first century. Now all of this knowledge – art, history, science, geography – is condensed on one tiny website: Wikipedia. And what’s more, it is regularly updated. And what’s more and more: its articles range way beyond anything the previous encyclopaedias could ever dare dream about. And what’s more and more and more: this information is free. O, how strange the times are a-changing.

This book on British History to the Protectorate – from The New Joy of Knowledge Encyclopaedia – takes the reader on a journey from ‘Bronze and Iron Age Britain’ right through the chopping off of the head of Charles I in the 1600s. In-between are over twenty chapters on periods and events such as ‘Norman and Angevin England’, ‘The origins of Parliament’ and ‘Elizabeth and the Armada’. As expected with any history claiming to be “British”, the rest of the Isles are given scant coverage, with a couple of their own chapters thrown in for good measure (‘Wales to the Act of Union’, anyone?).

The text is succinct and to the point, covering the major topics and debate. The real surprising feature of this book is its great use of illustration: every chapter has portraits, diagrams, and maps set out in a wonderful and accessible style. Furthermore, the chapters are interspersed with ‘Panorama’ pages detailing the likes of the Bayeux tapestry and a painting on Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales; with the larger A3 paper adding to the allure and detail.

But let us not get too carried away, dear reader. Despite its advantages this book cannot escape what it intrinsically is: an encyclopaedia. As such, it remains stunted in its form and time period; its future looks grim, but when placed alongside its fellow encyclopaedia siblings, the overall picture can be impressive. Wikipedia has expansiveness and elasticity; but even in this digital age nothing beats a colourful and triumphant book shelf.

Richard III: King of England - James Gairdner

James Gairdner – Richard III: King of England
Biography – read on the Kindle for free during September 2011
- 1 nod out of 5 -

We all love a villain in history. Check out the shelves of a nearby bookshop and what we’ll find are books on the likes of Hitler and Stalin. Closer to home, in British history, we place a great emphasis on the failures of our own monarchy: of the losses of Bad King John, on the madness of King George III, and on the monstrous myth that is Richard III.

The worm uses the word ‘myth’, as much of what is commonly known about Richard was the invention of good old Bill Shakespeare. James Gairdner – one of the eminent voices on Tudor history in the Victorian age – conforms to this stereotype in this short biography of the hunchbacked villain who sought power at all costs. True to Shakespeare’s portrayal, Richard is seen butchering all who stand in his way, friend or foe.

Such is the venting of the spleen, Gairdner has been labelled “the Victorian Anti-Richard” for such severe views. Later revisionist works have rebuffed such ideas, with more expressive and expansive conclusions now being deduced about Richard’s reign. Was he the murderer of the princes in the tower, out to grab all the power he could muster; or was he trying to steer England away from ruin? Such questions have no home in Gairdner’s prose, and it is all the poorer without them.

Gairdner wrote a whole stack of biographies on some of the key figures of the Tudor age: Henry VIII, Edward IV, Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, Edward V, and more and more and more. Some of his works maintained a strong currency until the middle of the twentieth century; but his short biographies – of which this read is one – contain none of the debate and analysis that his longer books became known for.

Richard III will continue to attract critics and supporters; he is a monarch best viewed in a different format. Gairdner’s short rendition of his life is a blunt and tired one best reserved for Victorian historian enthusiasts (wherever they might live!). It might have sufficed in the Victorian age, but unfortunately for the author’s legacy, it simply doesn’t suffice today.

Interzone - William S Burroughs

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Basement - Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather - The Basement (2010)
Novella – read on the Kindle during September 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -

Stephen Leather is one smart cookie. That might not be the technical term, but that statement is a good assessment of his business know-how. His publishers refused to print a few shorter novels that didn’t fit in with his own back catalogue, so rather than hide the manuscripts away in a drawer to gather dust they found a home electronically. Released on the Kindle they sold like a hot cakes; and, it would seem, Mr Leather has been laughing himself silly ever since.

The Worm stumbled across Leather’s success story in a writing magazine feature, and feeling ready to purchase a few texts to christen a new Kindle, The Basement was bought for the small sum of less than one pound.

So, we know the price; we know the back story: but what about the book, the Worm hears you asking! The Basement is a short novel comprised of two concurrent running stories. The first follows a wannabe screenwriter who is targeted as a murder suspect by two police officers; while the second – and more sinister of the two – follows the perspective of an unnamed person who has a woman tied up in the titular basement, used as a sex slave during the novella.

Of course, the suspense – of which Leather excels – leads us, the reader, to believe the two story lines are entwined. And indeed, they are; but with the suspected storyline twist not failing to serve its purpose and stun. The central (first) narrator is genuinely interesting: never bothered by the police officers knocking at his door, his energy is spent on dreaming up new movie ideas, with each of them equally as uninspiring as the last. His life perspective is egotistically centred, as shown nowhere more clearly than in the ransacking of his opponent’s apartment:

‘...in big capital letters I write ‘HOW DO YOU LIKE IT, NIGGER?’ across the mirrored closet. It’s a nice touch, the Nigger bit. Just in case he thinks it might be a couple of homeboys out to feed their habit. That and the fact that nothing as been stolen should point in my direction. I mean, he is a detective and all. I actually feel guilty as I stand and look at the word nigger written in red. It’s not that I’m a racist, I pretty much treat everyone as inferior, but I’ll make Turner mad. Real mad, which is the way I want him.’

However, the limited space of this novella means the plot descends into a simple routine, switching from the action in the basement to that of the screenwriter, from screenwriter back to the basement, and well, you get the drift. A tad monotonous, to say the least. And while Leather may keep the kettle pot of suspense boiling to the brim (along with truly sinister descriptions from the basement), the dialogue is close to shambolic. With such things considered, The Basement never threatens to leave the realms of ‘Quick Read’ to become a ‘Recommend to a Friend’.


Read more about the author here:
http://stephenleather.blogspot.com/2010/10/basement-on-kindle.html

Notes From Underground - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Notes From Underground (1864)
Novel – read on Kindle during August 2011, a free download
- 5 nods out of 5 -

‘Gentlemen, you must excuse me for being over-philosophical; it’s the result of forty years underground!’

Here are the words of the man from underground, the narrator in Dostoyevsky’s revered and renowned short novel from 1864. In the English language it is popularly referred to as Notes from THE Underground; but the Worm feels its more literal translation from Russian befits the writer and the mood much more. After all, just where is THE underground? A place, or perhaps better yet, a mood within us.

Existentialists in coffee shops have spilt much breath upon the merits of this novel. Narrated by an unnamed man, the first part of the story is a collection of rants and rambling observations. Topics are covered, ranging from suffering to theories of reason and logic. While the second part (Apropos of the Wet Snow) follows more of a traditional story pattern, as the narrator seeks off to prove a point to a circle of acquaintances, before making contact with a prostitute, who like himself, is in search of approval (and, perhaps, love). Much is attacked throughout the book: aspirations of love, western philosophy, the bureaucracy of work, manners, social norms, and on and on. Whilst riddles abound on every page.

The novel’s chief selling point is the unnamed narrator himself. Pathetic but scathing, pitiful yet insightful; he is not a man to be trusted. The use of the ‘unreliable narrator’ has come in and out of fashion with every generation, but very rarely is it accomplished to such an art. The reader must question at every turn just what is being said, the subtext, the hidden meaning. Dostoyevsky doesn’t make it easy for us:

‘I believe I made a mistake in beginning to write them, anyway I have felt ashamed all the time I’ve been writing this story; so it’s hardly literature so much as a corrective punishment.’

With the vast amount of thought within these pages, it is easy to assume a vision of Dostoyevsky smugly gazing down upon the reader. But despite the somewhat heavy discussion of free will and of the modern world, there is also a great deal of emotion to sway us. The narrator’s two scenes with the prostitute are intriguing and, aside from philosophical discussion, the strongest in the novel: here we get to see the chief character in action amongst others. After at first berating the prostitute, he tries making amends by giving his address; only to regret this when she threatens to call days later.

Make what you will of the narrator: to trust or not to trust. But the art of Dostoyevsky’s writing cannot be in doubt. Pick up a copy, grab a cup of coffee, fling on a beret, and let your heart sing about existentialist ideas! Notes from Underground is a classic to be enjoyed.

Elizabeth - David Starkey

David Starkey – Elizabeth (2000)
Biography – 340 pages – my copy (2001; paperback) bought for 1 penny from Amazon in August 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -



Let’s get this straight: David Starkey is a pompous ass. For those who have watched his many upon many history documentaries, as well as his comments on the likes of Question Time (and more recently and controversially on Newsnight) you will agree with the Worm’s initial and cemented assessment of the man. That smugness, that air of haughty disdain for others, that general permeation of snobbery all confirms this. But we cannot take an enduring contribution of his: the great outpouring on Tudor history.

British television has few recognisable historians (Schama and Ferguson are a couple of others), and perhaps Starkey is the Big Cheese of them all. (Pomposity, it seems, has its advantages.) He has produced a long list of works on the hundred years of Tudor rule, and here, under the Worm’s spotlight, is Elizabeth: his treatment of the early years of Elizabeth The Very First in the mid sixteenth century, all before she became queen.

Like his documentaries, the book is divided in many small, bite-sized chapters, including Elizabeth’s childhood; the death of her father, Henry VIII; her reputed dalliances with her stepmother’s new husband; the death of her brother Edward VI; the possible plots against her sister, Mary; the battle between Protestantism and Catholicism; concluding on her settlement on coming to the throne in the late 1550s.

As to be expected with any biography, there is a fair amount of padding in Elizabeth’s earlier childhood years. Starkey is keen to place great emphasis on small events (including the detail and emotion of her handwriting, p.49); but more to the point of settling historiographical scores. The conjecture is great, but also great is the amount of detail.

The book gets into its stride with the death of Elizabeth’s brother, Edward the boy-king, and the resulting large shadow of doubt and deceit this caused. It seemed for a short while that both Elizabeth and bigger sister Mary were to be shunned from the crown in favour of the Protestant Lady Jane Grey, before Mary seized the throne and put to death all those who opposed her: and very nearly Elizabeth herself. It is one of British history’s greatest What Ifs on a possible heir of Mary and Philip, and what this would have meant from Catholicism on these isles.

All together, Starkey does an admirable job on Elizabeth’s formative years. For those who wish to gain a greater understanding of the queen, then they must search into the inner girl: of those insecurities and childhood struggles. However, it would be disingenuous to say Starkey provides the definitive biography on this period; that honour surely belongs to the efforts of a future historian. It seems being a pompous ass only gets someone so far. But, then again, he is our pompous ass. It takes one to know one, after all.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Dr-David-Starkey/dp/0099286572/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316858327&sr=1-1

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

William Golding – Lord of the Flies (1954)
Novel – 220 pages – my copy (paperback; 1979) bought for a few pennies in a charity shop a long time ago in a galaxy far away from here – read during August 2011
- 5 nods out of 5 -



The Worm was first introduced to Lord of the Flies in movie form many years ago. The enduring image continues to be that of a large rock falling upon Piggy’s head. In the process Piggy is killed, with the triumph of savagery over progress, of passion against reason, of the id over the ego.

Even those who have not read William Golding’s fantastic novel, many are aware of the story. A group of boys, ranging from six years to twelve years, are left stranded on a desert island. Left to their own devices, at first they continue with the symbols of their previous world – of authority figures (nominating a leader, Ralph; and in the rational mind of Piggy) – but eventually descend into mayhem and chaos. Ralph’s rival, Jack, creates a gang of hunters who consume the island in their philosophical mantra: ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’

The lack of external authority of a grown-up leads to a breakdown of education and social norms. This is shown nowhere more clearly than in the downfall of Roger – later master executioner for the hunters - as he throws rocks at one of the little ‘uns near the story's beginning:

‘Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policeman and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.’

As Ralph is questioned ‘Who cares?’ about breaking the rules, he replies: ‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’ And even this slips away from the group’s grasp, as common sense and order give way to a feral temptation, as shown in the breaking of the conch – the only symbol of authority left remaining.

And just who is the Lord of the Flies? This is the sow’s head, detached from body and placed upon a stick, who tells Simon: ‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast.’ But this is the lord in Simon’s deluded mind. Perhaps the beast has a larger, implicit location – in the unconscious feelings let loose from the children on the island. Like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, it leaves an unsettling and frightening thought in the mind of the adult reader.

The officer at the book’s end is Ralph’s - and the collective boys – saviour, of all body, mind and soul. As the officer comments upon seeing them: ‘I should have thought that a pack of British boys – you’re all British aren’t you? – would have been able to put up a better show than that.’ Unfortunately for us, the reader, Golding proceeds to over-egg the pudding of the drama with the penultimate paragraph, as Ralph weeps for:

‘The end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy’.

But after such a story we can forgive him this melodrama. Lord of the Flies is a short book, but one filled with emotion, theory and never-ending reflection. A bona-fide 5 nodder, if the Worm ever did see one.


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lord-Flies-William-Golding/dp/0571191479

England Under The Tudors - G.R. Elton

G.R. Elton – England Under The Tudors (1955)
History – 490 pages – my copy (paperback; 1991) on loan from University of Plymouth library, during August 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -



Name England’s most illustrious monarchs of the past. No doubt two of the first on your lips are Henry VIII and Elizabeth, a king and queen of Tudor stock. Henry slept with, divorced and beheaded wives as if they were going out of style, all whilst picking a fight with the pope and spearheading a religious revolution. Elizabeth, his daughter, became the first successful female monarch of this isle, keeping her subjects in check with her tongue, whilst overseeing the defeat of the invading Spanish Armada (a feat continually celebrated over four hundred years today). With two such heavyweights, it is clear to see the Tudor age is not one to be sniffed or trifled with.

In recent decades the Tudors have been in print, on the television and up on the big screen, in various incarnations. The author of this book – England Under The Tudors – researched and wrote in a different time, away from the glamour, sex and violence; to bring this period to the masses of the immediate post-war period.

Elton takes us from the birth of the Tudor dynasty, from the Battle of Bosworth field in 1485 when Henry Tudor became king, to the end when his grand-daughter – Elizabeth – died in 1603. In-between the reader is treated to insight after insight to this period, including the break with Rome, the conflict of religion during ‘the mid-Tudor crisis’, as well as the Armada invasion of 1588. Great characters are placed under the microscope, such as Thomas Wolsey (‘the Great Cardinal’); the philosopher Thomas More; Thomas Cromwell - Henry’s instrument in doing away with Catholicism; as well as all those colourful names during the reign of Elizabeth: Dudley, Cecil, Essex and Raleigh.

But more than the popular history, Elton takes us through much historical debate, as well as concentrating on the ‘price revolution’ (when inflation soared) and the raging religious arguments. The typical truth-searching historian, Elton revises his arguments in later editions, in the 1970s and 1990s. In recent decades this period has gained even greater popularity and historical concentration: as seen in the narrative highlights from Weir and Starkey, as well as the dubious incarnations on the screen (The Tudors, anyone? Thought not!).

Despite an influx of new books and authors, Elton’s history remains readable and enjoyable. Although time will see such views superseded, the future decades will not detract from Elton’s writing style, his cutting comments and will to speak out on the major issues. Such a historian is needed for such an interesting age, to bring the Tudors to life for the modern generations; in this, Mr Elton has surely succeeded.

Buy it here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/England-Under-Tudors-G-R-Elton/dp/041506533X

Henry VI: Part One - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare – Henry VI: Part One (1591)
Play – read via the marvellous Shakespeare app for the iPhone during August 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -

Shakespeare this, Shakespeare that. The old Bard is so highly revered not even the Worm – ever the critical book reader – has so far fallen for his charm of prose. In the past two years the Worm has reviewed the 5 nodder that is Macbeth, mused over the merits of Julius Caesar (4 nods); while even his attacks upon the false and weak love of Romeo and Juliet was withstood (4 nods). Seemingly confirming Shakespeare as a gold standard of English literature.

Which is why the Worm turned to Henry VI: Part One. Amongst the bigger names of the Shakespeare canon, this one is comparative small fish; however, its appearance in the 1590s (along with Parts Two, Three and Richard III) secured the author’s weight as a man of presence and genius. Today it is known as one of his weaker works, with a dispute raging amongst who had a hand in writing what (a debate, the Worm assures you, left alone for Shakespearian scholars!). Perhaps the Bard would slip up under the Worm’s lens.

King Henry VI himself is something of a forgotten character, especially when stood aside other excelling monarchs of the past. He never had the conquering spirit of William, not the marrying zeal of Henry VIII, nor even the manly heart of Queen Elizabeth; Even the madness he displayed has been overshadowed by that of King George III. He was the son of Henry V – yes, he of Agincourt (‘too famous to live long! England ne’er lost a king of so much worth’) - and came to the throne as a minor. His reign was one of instability, leading to the upheaval that has become known as the War of the Roses: Henry was ejected once, regained his throne, only to be chucked in the Tower of London where he was left to die. An odd character to centralise on, but then, Shakespeare is known for the art of drama.

The three parts of the play stretch the entirety of Henry’s life; though, Part One concentrates on the young man, the loss of the French territory that his father had won, as well as the beginning rupture of the houses of York (the white Rose) and that of Lancaster (the red Rose). As is common with many of Shakespeare’s titular plays, the seeming central character has little action and less to say, as happens here with Henry upstaged by the likes of the vengeful Richard of York, Joan of Arc and the heroic Talbot.

On Henry V’s death he became ruler of both England and France. Talbot – ‘the Frenchmen’s only scourge’ is left in France to secure the throne for Henry, and all agree he is the best man for the job: ‘Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot. Lo, there thou stand’st, a breathing valiant man, Of an invincible unconquer’d spirit!’ The French, understandably, are reluctant to bow down and accept such a fact, and on the crowning of Henry VI they revolt under the new and inspired leadership of Joan of Pucelle (aka: Joan of Arc). Joan becomes the nemesis of the English forces, with Talbot marking her appearance in the play: ‘Where is my strength, my valour, and my force? Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them; A woman clad in armour chaseth them’.

The subplot running in the background is the gathering storm that will become the Wars of the Roses. Richard recovers his family title of Duke of York, and now bestowed with knowledge that it is his line of descent that is all the more valid than Henry’s, he starts causing a ruckus behind the scenes. The Duke of Warwick ominous predicts a riot:

‘And here I prophesy: this brawl today,
Grown to this faction in the Temple Garden,
Shall send between the Red Rose and the White
A thousand souls to death and deadly night’

The two antagonists of both clans – Richard of York and the Duke of Somerset – come to France to help Talbot in the war; however, due to both mistrusting the other, neither comes to Talbot’s help when he becomes overawed by the French forces. As Sir William Lucy reflects: ‘Thus while the vulture of sedition feeds in the bosom of such great commanders, Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss the conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror, That ever-living man of memory, Henry the Fifth. Whiles they each other cross, Lives, honours, lands and all, hurry to loss.’

Talbot’s final battle scene, standing alongside his son, John, is the fitting climax of the play. Both are the courage of an England that is now past, displaying valour and spirit. Talbot sends his son away to carry on the family name, to which John refuses, as he states if he was to run the family name would be worthless. As the French move in, Shakespeare wonderfully dialogues the scene in rhyming couplets:

TALBOT:
Shall all they mother’s hopes lie in one tomb?

JOHN:
Ay, rather than I’ll shame my mother’s womb.

…

TALBOT:
My age was never tainted with such shame.

JOHN
And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?

Both perish in battle and England is forced to recognise the growing power of France. But as Lucy concludes, it is ‘the fraud of England, not the force of France’ that wins the day.

Despite this fantastic climax, alongside more clever word play in the final act between the Duke of Suffolk and Margaret, the play itself is a rather confused affair. The first three acts flit between England and France, between the defence of Henry V’s conquered land and the conflict in the royal court. Richard of York may claim credit in burning Joan of Arc, but aside from that he does little else but bog down the plot. Shakespeare appears overwhelmed the amount of back-story he must plant, due to the impending battles and wars to come between the houses of York and Lancaster.

Of course, the Bard would continue on to cement his name and perfect such short-comings. And even with its slightly negative reviews down the centuries and its obvious imperfections, Henry VI: Part One remains an interesting play. It really does appear that Shakespeare is the gold standard of literature.


Read it here:
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/1henryiv/full.html

Italy: A Short History - Harry Hearder

Harry Hearder – Italy: A Short History (1990)
History – 270 pages – my copy (paperback; 1991) a loan from Plymouth University library, courtesy of Jay – read during August 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -

The Worm has always had a fondness for a modest title; and there is none more modest than those that claim to be ‘a short history’. Many histories are written with great intentions in mind, of sweeping generalisations, of the great search of the all embracing answer. The short history does not belong to this section. Often there to fill a niche market, it is the quick buck for the publisher and the writing credit for the author.

Of course, modest books make great reads. Harry Hearder’s history of Italy is not one of them. But this is not to say that is does not serve its purpose. In the short space of under three hundred pages the entirety of Italian history is on display: from the Roman Republic right through to the modern republic. Space is found for prehistoric Italy and the arrival of the Greeks and society of the Etruscans, the Risorgimento and the ‘Fascist disaster’. As these mighty periods show, Italian history is far from dull and uninspiring. Within these pages are the deeds of great men, of Cicero and Caesar, of Garibaldi and Cavour, of Mussolini and Medici.

Such events astound the reader and Hearder does a pleasing job of blending in the right characters in the correct chapters. Of course, the Renaissance covered in thirty pages fails to convey its true sense; but as a taster to a fascinating country it ticks the boxes. What puts this history above other rivals is Hearder’s amiable personality and sense of phrase, shown nowhere more clearly than in his description of the cautious Cavour, one of the chief unifiers of Italy in the 1860s: ‘He loved moderation immoderately.’

A modest read with modest intentions. But unlike Churchill’s Clement Attlee, Italian history – no matter how short – has little to be modest about.

The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood – The Year of the Flood (2009)
Novel – 500 pages – my copy (paperback; 2010) bought from Waterstone’s in Plymouth during May 2011
- 2 nods out of 5 -



For those who are regular readers of this blog (there are people out there, aren’t there?!) many of you will know the glowing review the Worm have to Atwood’s Oryx & Crake (read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/05/oryx-and-crake-margaret-atwood.html): a fantastic piece of speculative fiction. Its world is our possible future, one full of multi-national corporation horror, of technological wonder and human greed. Such was its impression it made No.8 in my list of Top Ten Reads of 2010-11. So, one can understand the trepidation the Worm reserved for the forthcoming read of this (loose) follow-up.

So, the story? The Year of the Flood follows the intertwining stories of two central characters, Ren (first person perspective) and Toby (third person). Their lives are the countdown to the year of the waterless flood that is the virus transmitted throughout the planet that destroys all human life. Both characters become members of God’s Gardeners, a group of ethical hippies who believe there is a different path to the mainstream, with their leader Adam One preaching of impending doom. We read the countdown to the flood and the resulting fall-out in ominous Year Twenty-Five.

Let’s make one thing clear: if anyone is searching for a neat conclusion to the fate that befalls Snowman at the end of Oryx & Crake, you shall be waiting a long time. Despite it being the same dystopian, rather scary vision, The Year of the Flood lacks the heavyweight punch of its predecessor.

Perhaps it is Atwood’s search to find a female counter-part to this vision of a bleak future that means these two characters take such a central stance, with greater emotion away from Crake’s humanity-less vacuum; but nothing can placate the annoyance that is the Ren character (needy, clingy, rudderless), whilst the substitution of Jimmy’s feeling of loss is not offset by that of Toby’s.

But nothing compares with the irritation of the God’s Gardeners group. Slightly kooky and interesting at first with Atwood’s hymns from their very own Oral Hymnbook, the characters displayed are completely hollow and undeveloped. Even Zeb, the hell raiser of the gang, fails to stir any passion; and it is a pity his breakaway sect isn’t looked into with greater detail, including his dalliance with Crake. Every time we are given an insight into the terrifying world of Oryx & Crake, Atwood seems intent on dragging us back to the emotional needs of Ren, or to the cardboard copy bad-guy that is Blanco.

Like Oryx & Crake, this book ends with a cliff-hanger: ‘We listen. Jimmy’s right, there is music. It’s faint and far away, but moving closer. It’s the sound of many people singing. Now we can see the flickering of their torches, winding towards us through the darkness of the trees.’ And despite the previous five hundred pages of slight annoyance and frustration, the Worm will be sure to buy a forthcoming copy of any future follow-up. Atwood is a master at posing questions; and the Worm is eager to find answers.


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Flood-Margaret-Atwood/dp/1844085643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314137559&sr=8-1

Visit Atwood’s website here:
http://yearoftheflood.com/uk/

The Rise & Fall of the House of Medici - Christopher Hibbert

Christopher Hibbert – The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici (1974)
History – my copy (paperback; 1985) bought for the staggeringly low price of 50p from Music & Goods Exchange, Notting Hill, sometime in 2008
- 3 nods out of 5 -



Earlier this summer the Worm walked on the very same streets as did Cosimo Medici and Lorenzo the Magnificent. Do these names mean nothing to you, dear reader? Then, perhaps it is time to immerse yourself in the dramatic house of Medici, only of Florence’s premier historic families.

The Medicis were a banking family who obtained bigger depths of wealth and a greater hold of power. In the 1400s Cosimo took control – somewhat ostensibly – in Florence, while his grandson Lorenzo became a patron of the arts, even giving a home to a young Michelangelo. In the 1500s the Medicis became popes in Rome and dukes of Tuscany. Many a-time they were chased out of Florence by ardent republicans, only to return to heal wounds and silence squabbling factions. It was amongst one of these incidents that led Machiavelli to write his world famous The Prince; a book that was to earn his enduring – perhaps unwanted – legacy.

In the 1700s the house was to finally cease: it was one usurpation too many. But it was not the final end of a name that has proven its strength with historians and readers throughout the generations of time; in Florence, one of the world’s great cultural cities, Medici is seen on every street corner. Such fame prompted the historian Christopher Hibbert to write an enlightening and entertaining narrative of this illustrious clan.

Never jaw-dropping, Hibbert proceeds to put in a work-man like performance in his treatment of the Medicis; a poor history was not be expected by the man who has brought countless biographies to the bookshelves, concentrating on English figures in history from the Duke of Wellington to Disraeli. Concentrating primarily on the golden generations of the first Cosimo and Lorenzo (who each have a whole section to themselves), the last two centuries (1537-1743) are crammed into fifty pages. Perhaps the author himself knew too well that usurpation after usurpation was too much for the reader to maintain across three hundred pages of death, plotting and plunder. Yet it is with the earlier Medicis in which the legend lies; after all, Michelangelo didn’t dine with the likes of Cosimo III.

Other books upon the Medicis have come and gone; but Hibbert’s treatment remains a gold standard – in the English language, anyhow – of these characters and their descendents. For anyone who wishes to delve further into Italian history, and wish to understand the city of Florence, Hibbert’s history is a welcome read.


Buy it here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rise-Fall-House-Medici/dp/0140050906/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313784866&sr=8-1

Read more about the author here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hibbert

The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams

Margery Williams - The Velveteen Rabbit (1922)
Short Story – read as an app on the iPhone during July 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -


"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."


And so begins the Velveteen Rabbit’s quest to become real. The rabbit in question is not made of flesh and bone, but rather stuffed of sawdust. The love he seeks is that of a young boy; only for this love to be put in near tragic jeopardy by the book’s end.

Written by Margey Williams, and wonderfully illustrated by William Nicholson, The Velveteen Rabbit has been a favourite with generations ever since its first publication back in 1922. It has its fans within both libraries and those in the media and popular culture. And it is easy to see why when the author writes in such a simple and emotive style, along with the illustrator's amusing and fanciful images, reminding us of another time before modern technology, of Playstations and MTV.

The surprising thing about this book, reading it as an adult, is the way the reader is thrown into the story; as particularly shown in the mocking of our hero by real rabbits that live in the wild:

"He hasn't got any hind legs!" he called out. "Fancy a rabbit without any hind legs!" And he began to laugh.

"I have!" cried the little Rabbit. "I have got hind legs! I am sitting on them!"

"Then stretch them out and show me, like this!" said the wild rabbit. And he began to whirl round and dance, till the little Rabbit got quite dizzy.

"I don't like dancing," he said. "I'd rather sit still!"

But all the while he was longing to dance, for a funny new tickly feeling ran through him, and he felt he would give anything in the world to be able to jump about like these rabbits did.

Imaginative and whimsical, The Velveteen Rabbit is a joy to read throughout. Children books enable the reader – of any age – to step inside a new world and rediscover that element of magic. Although not all children books are able to entertain and play with our emotions to the fine extent as Williams’ short story. Read this story to take yourself away from reality and be prepared to enter another world.


Read it here:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html

And better yet, buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Velveteen-Rabbit-Margery-Williams/dp/1405210540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313535702&sr=8-1

Year In Review: 2010-11

Well, dear readers, another end to a fine book reading year has come. It was a year in which classic American novels were devoured (The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby), fine modern works of history read (Postwar, Rubicon), a fine feast of plays enjoyed (from misters Shakespeare and Gogol), much poetry lapped up (from Wilfred Owen to Seamus Heaney), key political texts considered (The Communist Manifesto, Machiavelli’s The Prince, and our old friend Tom Paine) as well as the usual smattering of the odd and damn right silly, including a scenario of Michael Portillo becoming Prime Minister as well as the invention of the toilet.

It is the second year of the Worm’s crusading book reading adventures; but alas, a year that fell short of the first volume in 2009-10. This year fifty-three books were devoured; in the shade to last year’s robust dollop of sixty-eight. The Worm hoists the white flag in submission, but truly believes in quality over quantity: and there was much quality in these pages! So, if we may, we move onto the top ten reads of the past twelve months:


The Top Ten Reads of 2010-11:

1. The Sound & The Fury (1929) – William Faulkner
Breathtaking book that concentrates on the three brothers of the Compson family, and each of their focus and relationships with their sister, Caddy (she of the muddy drawers climbing the pear tree!). A true modernist work of fiction, the Worm strongly urges to buy, beg, steal or borrow a copy today. 5 nods.
Read the review here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/06/sound-fury-william-faulkner.html

2. Common Sense (1776) – Thomas Paine
The book that helped to spark the American Revolution; Paine writes with an intensity and ferocity that all can understand and marvel in. He speaks with compassion for the ideals of democracy, and this pamphlet should be studied in schools across the world. 5 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2010/10/common-sense-thomas-paine.html

3. Poems (1920) – Wilfred Owen
Having found inspiration on the front line during the First World War, Owen wrote a batch of beautify and eye-opening poems before dying the week before Armistice Day in 1918. Tragedy and anguish lay on these pages, confirming Owen’s place as one of our most loved of poets. 5 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/poems-wilfred-owen.html

4. The Communist Manifesto (1848) – Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
One of the key influential political texts of the past one hundred and fifty years, with a banking crisis around us, perhaps it is time to get back up to speed with pals Karl & Friedrich. Their prose still stirs a passion, calling all working men to unite! 5 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2010/09/communist-manifesto-marx-engels.html

5. The Catcher In The Rye (1945) – J.D. Salinger
A novel that excites and inflames all who read it; who cannot resist the efforts of Holden Caulfield to free himself from the grip of the phonies. Salinger’s classic is a must-read of modern literature. 5 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2010/08/catcher-in-rye-jd-salinger.html

6. Postwar (2005) – Tony Judt
Judt encompasses the chaotic and confusing recent decades of European history into one book – and very much succeeds. Postwar is for anybody who wishes to get to obtain a greater understanding of the continent of Europe. 5 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/06/postwar-tony-judt.html

7. Julius Caesar (1599) – William Shakespeare
Follow the trials and tribulations, not of Caesar, but of Brutus and his quest to safe the dying body of the Roman Republic. Shakespeare puts in his usual magic of oratory and gruesome deaths. 4 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/05/julius-caesar-william-shakespeare.html

8. Oryx & Crake (2003) – Margaret Atwood
A disturbing, frightening and yet thoroughly entertaining dystopian vision of a world of genetically modified creatures. With many similarities with previous classic texts such as Brave New World, this stands as a premier Atwood read. 4 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/05/oryx-and-crake-margaret-atwood.html

9. Rubicon (2003) – Tom Holland
Holland has made narrative history “sexy” once again. There is no easier read on the fall of the Roman Republic than this; re-engage with Caesar, Cato and Cicero with the popcorn ready. 4 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/03/rubicon-tom-holland.html

10. The Middle Parts of Fortune (1929) – Frederick Manning
One of the finest books on war ever written. Take not the Worm’s critique, but rather the great stature and recommendation of Hemingway. For anyone wishing to understanding conflict, grab a copy today. 4 nods.
Read it here: http://4eyedbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/01/middle-parts-of-fortune-frederick.html

The above are true classics, and perhaps the Worm feels a tad ashamed in not dishing out 5 nodders across the board for these top tens; but as many of you know, a 5 nodder is a hard fought thing and must surpass all of the Worm’s rigid and scientific nodder tests (kept in a secret laboratory beneath Worm Manor).

Including this top ten, there are honourable mentions for the following that fell just short of the top ten: Angela Carter’s The Passion of New Eve, Seamus Heaney’s collection of poems from 1966-1987, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector. Fantastic reads that kept the Worm aloft and full of hope over this past year.

With regards to author loyalty, a few familiar names reappeared (with various results), including Bill Bryson’s slightly disappointing History of Private Life and Bret Easton Ellis’ even more deflating novel The Rules of Attraction. Of course these chaps will return in the year ahead, let’s hope for more generous nods in future. Thank goodness for the recurring reads of Thomas Paine and William Shakespeare, true gold standards of the written word.

The 1 nodder sin-bin was enlarged by some truly terrible reads: Emma Mansfield’s cash-in Little Book of Cornwall and Wallace Reyburn’s dreadful Flushed With Pride. The Shredder Award goes to Michael Williams’ pathetic biography on Prince Charles and his role as Duke of Cornwall. To the bin with you all, foul creatures of the printed page!

And onto the awards of the past year, in what has been styled The Noddies:

Read of the Year:
The Sound & The Fury (1929) – William Faulkner

Novel of the Year:
The Sound & The Fury (1929) – William Faulkner

Short Fiction:
Dubliners (1914) – James Joyce

Play of the Year:
Julius Caesar (1599) – William Shakespeare

Poetry:
Poems (1920) – Wilfred Owen

History:
Postwar (2005) – Tony Judt

Political:
Common Sense (1776) – Thomas Paine

Auto/Biographical:
The Frock Coated Communist (2009) – Tristam Hunt

Local Book:
Cornwall A History (2004) – Philip Payton

Largest Read:
Postwar (2005) at 850 pages

Modest Read:
Charles Duke of Cornwall (1977) at 80 pages

Oldest Read:
The Prince (1532) - Niccolo Machiavelli

Niche Title:
Flushed With Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper (1969) – Wallace Reyburn

The Shredder Award:
Charles Duke of Cornwall (1977)- Michael Williams.


Hooray for the winners, who will be canonised on this blog and emphasised and promoted to all who come into the path of the Worm.

The Worm will continue to read, to criticise and praise each page of prose that comes his way. A toast to the past two years, and a toast to those years of the future. The retinas are in focus, the four eyes have much life in them yet.

The Government Inspector - Nikolai Gogol

Nikolai Gogol – The Government Inspector (1836)
Play – read on the iBooks app for the iPhone during June 2011
- 4 nods out of 5 -

The Government Inspector is a celebrated Russian classic, with commentators going as far as to label it ‘a national institution.’ It is both comedy and government critique, delighting audiences ever since its first performance in the mid-nineteenth century when Tsar of the time, Nicolas I, is reputed to have commented: ‘How true!’

Gogol’s play follows the misadventures of Khlestakov who is mistaken as a government inspector in a provincial town. Alarm builds in the community as everyone fears a reprisal from the Tsarist government, with the plot of play showing the locals attempts to bribe the mistaken inspector. Such bribes the unscrupulous Khlestakov eagerly accepts.

The play excels as a comedy. Despite the mistaken identity gag perhaps wearing thin towards its end, the continuing comedy of errors is a device used down to the present day in modern sitcoms, from Fawlty Towers to Fraser. In a British setting it would be easy to see John Cleese’s Basil Fawlty in the role of the town’s governor. For instance, read Gogol’s directions for this character: ‘Coarse in his judgements, he passes rapidly from fear to joy, from servility to arrogance.’ Basil Fawlty, indeed.

But it is in the play’s implicit critique of the government of the day in which it proves most important. Comments against the Tsar meant a visit to Siberia in Imperial and Soviet Russia, meaning the writers of these periods found other means to get their message to the masses, in the form of their plays and stories; something Gogol has gone down in history for. As Gogol states himself in a letter of the period:

‘I resolved to gather together all the bad in Russia I then knew into one heap, all the injustice that was practised in those places and in those human relations in which more than in anything justice is demanded of men, and to have one big laugh over it all.’

Not that it done Gogol the slightest bit of good, as he left his homeland in search of greater freedom abroad. The Government Inspector may be deemed a classic Russian work of art; however, it shades in comparison to Gogol’s much greater Lost Souls. As an introduction to Gogol, the play is ever ready to impress; but perhaps the reader should look at first to his comedic and surreal The Nose.

Bandits - Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard – Bandits (1987)
Novel – 340 pages – my copy (paperback; 1995) bought from Plymouth Waterstone’s a good many a-year ago
- 2 nods out of 5 –

Many years ago, Elmore Leonard and the Four Eyed Book Worm were good friends. Leonard was a regular in the Worm’s bag, journeying from place to place as the Worm made excuses from his studying commitments to spend some quality time with his pal. Many stories were read during this period, one of which was Bandits. But then the quality time became sparser and sparser, the Worm moved onto new fields, and Leonard was left in boxes, waiting for the day when the seal of cellotape was to be broken, when the pages would be freed and felt by fingers once more.

A re-acquaintance with an old friend is never a bad thing. As such, the Worm decided to re-read Bandits, perhaps a decade after its first sitting. Back then it had left an impression of both thrilling and enlightening. How would its second day in court fare?

The positives: Elmore Leonard is known as a master of dialogue. Bandits, despite being lesser known than his major works (such as Get Shorty and Rum Punch, to name but a few that have been turned into successful Hollywood films) it has that same magic touch of quotation marks. What’s more, in Bandits the complex issue of the Nicaraguan Civil War is brought into focus, well crafted in the ignorance of the central character, Jack Delaney’s prodding questions.

The negatives: perhaps this novel is the reason why crime novelists get such a bad press. A tired plot is made to trundle on until its inevitable climax, with characters added for dramatic padding (the IRA arms trader Boylan for dramatic effect; Cullen for comedic effect). Leonard’s been down this road a million times, and even his characters know it:

‘ “Shit,” Jack said, “you’re right. Okay, I’m gonna get around the curve and then punch it. We’re gonna fly across the bridge and then make a quick right on North Beach and lose his ass.”
That’s what they did.’

Despite this, the Worm strongly recommends that all novel lovers out there become acquainted (or re-acquainted) with Elmore Leonard’s books. He’s a credit to the crime genre and a true master of dialogue; but perhaps leave Bandits until a later read.