Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare – Julius Caesar (1599)
Play – read as app from the splendid site playshakespeare.com
- 4 nods out of 5 -

He came, he saw and he conquered… then was promptly stabbed to death. This was the life of Julius Caesar, the man who led the Roman Republic to its end, falling before its rebirth as a large, behemoth empire. The largely unknown playwright Bill Shakespeare (okay, poor joke), made a name of dabbling in the biographies of the past, largely upon English kings; but in Roman antiquity he made these personalities and a vital period in time famous once again to audiences in the modern world.

It is 44 BC and Caesar is the master of Rome. Gone are his enemies, Pompey & Co, and a long period of dictatorship is set to follow his return to the capital. But lying beneath his official rule – where the likes of Mark Antony delight in acclaiming the glorious Caesar – is a growing band of conspirators. The duplicitous Cassius, knowing such a revolt would need solid backing, enlists the help of Brutus, the most honest of all Romans. And it is with a heavy heart that Brutus conspires against his father-figure.

Ignoring a soothsayer’s warning to beware the Ides of March, as well as Artemidorus’ letter (‘If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayest live; if not, the Fates with traitors do contrive’), Caesar walks to the fate of a brutal stabbing. He falls to face the last man, Brutus himself, to ask in his last breath: ‘Et tu, Brute? – Then fall Caesar’. These words commonly applied as: ‘And you, too, Brutus?’ Caesar’s body fails in union with his dejected heart. It is left for the faithful Mark Antony to lament: ‘O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, shrunk to this little measure?’

Combined with Caesar’s assassination, the other outstanding scene in the play is the delivery of Brutus’ and Anthony’s speeches to the people of Rome. Brutus begins, asking his fellow Romans to ‘be patient till the last’, advising them the reason he killed the father figure of Caesar: ‘Not that I lov’d Caesar less, but that I lov’d Rome more….As Caesar lov’d me, I weep for him…but he was ambitious, I slew him’. It is a humble and steadfast speech; yet a speech that is immediately blown out of the water by Anthony’s words to the people, in which the deeds of Caesar are blown beyond the imagination, therefore inflicting acrimonious damage towards Brutus and the conspirators. Rome revolts and Brutus and Cassius flee, only to find meet their deaths at the end of the play during battle against the combined forces of Mark Anthony and Octavius, Caesar’s proclaimed heir.

The combined death toll fits the bill for perfect Shakespearian tragedy; yet there is a bigger victim in the play: Rome and western civilisation itself. Although Julius Caesar has no such definitive character – even the title’s character plays a minor role and is killed half way during proceedings – to match the likes of a Macbeth or a Hamlet, the plot itself shows a greater idea, being the fall of democracy and the rise of dictatorial empire. Such a scenario is all the more relevant in the context of the twentieth century, and a warning that heroic and honest Brutus-like deeds may yet lead to ruin.

New Selected Poems - Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney – New Selected Poems (1966-1987)
Poetry - paperback with many scribbles bought from the Beardie's Barbican Bookshop sometime in 2008 for £3
- 4 nods out of 5 -

‘Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun’

And so begins this wonderful collection of the most memorable of Seamus Heaney’s poems. The collection spans from his beginning in the 1960s, through more expansive works of the 1970s, through to his much applauded The Haw Lantern in 1987. The poet remains one of Britain’s best selling poets – though perhaps Heaney himself would prefer to label himself as purely Irish.

Heaney’s Northern Irish childhood figures heavily in his earlier works, with the farming of his family taking particular emphasis. His father figures heavily, notably in Follower: ‘I was a nuisance, tripping and falling / Yapping always. But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away’). There is the illustrative, picturesque words of nature in Blackberry-Picking, Death of a Naturalist and Bogland. Whilst the poem about the death of his four-year old brother - Mid-Term Break – remains evocative, heartbreaking and popular with today’s readers.

Later works concentrate on Irish-British relations, such as in Whatever You Say Say Nothing. But it is to Heaney’s credit he can concentrate on such troubling, serious matters as well as on nature and personal feelings. The collection also features the many poems centring on Sweeney, as well as the epic Station Island.

It is to the book-ends in which the Worm finds most satisfaction, to the natural leanings of the beginning to the final, diverse and obscure collection The Haw Lantern, in particular the poem Terminus. Although the vastness of the collection means there are plenty of dips and peaks, altogether the book shows why Heaney is one of the greatest poets living today, and why such a collection should proudly be shown upon any bookcase.

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath – The Bell Jar (1963)
Novel – 230 pages – my copy (paperback) found and read whilst in work
- 2 nods out of 5 -

Sylvia Plath killed herself after numerous attempts. The Bell Jar, her one and only novel, charts the life of a woman who attempts to kill herself numerous times. If not already apparent and clear, The Bell Jar is not a happy and easy read.

The central character, Esther Greenwood is an obvious loose representation of Plath herself; we read of her descent into despair of the modern world. Such is the close proximity, the book could read more as memoir. The poet and novelist are known to share a love relationship with themselves and their own creations, and Plath is keen to take this to the next level: rather than a story, the pages in the novel take on the form of awkward confession, of explicit masturbation of Plath on Plath.

There is a great deal of self pity, of Esther’s and Sylvia’s eclipse in the real world: ‘I felt like a racehorse in a world without race-tracks or a champion college footballer suddenly confronted by Wall Street and a business suit, his days of glory shrunk to a little gold cup on his mantel with a date engraved on it like the date on a tombstone.’

The book becomes all the more interesting the greater the insanity, with Plath’s prose becoming – for the only time – lively; there is experimentation with the inner voice(s). Yet sadly, this is not taken further; and this is the main frustration with The Bell Jar. It could have become a female counterweight to Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. But where the reader roots for Holden Caulfield; they merely deride Esther Greenwood.

The Bell Jar is not a good novel. It is debatable if it is an honest novel. However, it is Plath’s only novel, and as such, it continues to garner attention.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne

John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2006)
Novel – 215 pages – my copy (paperback; 2010) borrowed from the Worm’s nearest and dearest
- 3 nods out of 5 -

John Boyne has done what most novelists never achieve: written a best seller that has been genuinely enjoyed by those in walks of life. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold by the bucket load as well as converted onto the big-screen. And this all from a book he typed out in a mere two days; such is the strange nature of art. Years can be spent and squandered on uselessness, whilst inspiration may strike at any moment.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas charts the journey of Bruno, a young boy in 1940s Nazi Germany. Although in third-person, the perspective is entirely Bruno’s, therefore little is known of war and atrocities, that his father is an ardent Nazi and fan of ‘the Fury’ and that his new home that he calls ‘Out-With’ is actually ‘Auschwitz’. At the camp Bruno strikes up a friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence, and through youthful innocence, become the best of friends.

Boyne accomplishes a master-stroke in having this chaotic and confused time viewed through the eyes of a young boy; the lack of complex ideology and histography explains the reason why it was such a success internationally. Yet the book’s end is clear and evitable to anyone with foresight upon Bruno’s first meeting with his new friend. Will the Worm spoil it for those out there yet to pick up Boyne’s short novel? Yes, he will: Bruno slips under the fence and ends being gassed to death alongside his newfound best friend.

Boyne doesn’t go in for moralizing within the pages, this is left for the readers themselves. However, the ending lines perhaps hint at the horror that can lie within us: ‘And that’s the end of the story about Bruno and his family. Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age.’

The author has come under fire for historical inaccuracies: would Bruno have been allowed so much time to spend with his Jewish friend? Of course not; but this is of little point. Boyne’s job is a novelist first and foremost, to transport the reader to different realms and situations, and in this case, to bring about a clear distinction between good and evil, of truth and justice. In this, Boyne has surely succeeded.

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England - Ian Mortimer

Ian Mortimer - The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England (2008)

History – 300 pages – my copy (paperback; 2008) purchased for £8.99 from Plymouth Waterstone’s in early 2011

- 3 nods out of 5 -

The Doc has arrived on your doorstep, the delorean waiting outside, engine on, ready to roll. He asks you to what part of history would you like to travel. Ancient Rome to dine alongside Caesar, perhaps? Or instead battling alongside Drake for Queen and country? Or watching the liberation of Paris against the Nazi hordes? More than likely medieval England will be low on the list: what with its diseases (the Black Death!), its wars (inevitably against the French), and its lack of basic human rights. But despite its setbacks, it remains a fascinating time, a cross-roads between the old and what would become the modern.

The author, Ian Mortimer has become a voice of authority upon the fourteenth century, having written biographies upon Edward III and Henry IV. This book, however, is less weighty and more entertaining. The reader is introduced to the major themes of the period, from the landscape, to the people, the law and the mentality of the medieval man.

Out of the window goes any precise narrative, as well as little political coverage. Royalty and leading figures do make an appearance, but more as illustrations of the period’s attitudes. Rather, Mortimer’s book sets itself out as a bona-fide travel guide: where to eat, where to visit, what to do, what to wear. And throughout all of this, the author is an amiable host, pointing out the dangers and directing us to the best ale-houses in the land.

Despite its breezy tones, there is no doubt that beneath the words there exists a dense network of information. However, this time traveller’s guide never attempts to go beyond its limits; it is content to entertain and remain a jovial light read-through. Like most holiday guide-books, you pick it up, skim it through, then when the holiday is over it is time to donate it to the local charity shop. Mortimer’s book never suggests it can become an authoritative guide to the period; however, as an introduction fellow book-worms could do no worse than to start here.

Twelve Cities - Roy Jenkins

Roy Jenkins – Twelve Cities (2002)
Memoir – 250 pages – my copy (hardback; 2002) bought for 50p from Plymouth Library during 2010
- 2 nods out of 5 -

Roy Jenkins was an outstanding man of notable ability: born the son of a Welsh coal miner, he became a leading light in the Labour party and one of the great parliamentarians of the twentieth century, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. From 1977 to 1981, President of the European Commission, and upon his return to English politics he was a brief time the leader of the newly formed Social Democratic Party, that later merged with the Liberals. Jenkins ended his days as grandly named The Right Honourable Lord Jenkins of Hillhead; yet he was also an author of considerable talent and great output, including biographies upon Churchill, Gladstone and Asquith… as well as the little known, Twelve Cities, the very book under the Worm’s lens in this review.

Jenkins himself garnered no pretence as to the book’s aspirations; in the very first line of the preface he labels it ‘this little book’, stating how it was aimed ‘as a relief for those who found Churchill heavy to hold and long to read’. Twelve Cities is, he comments, his own holiday after the arduous slog of getting his excellent biography on Churchill from the research stage to print. And although Twelve Cities is dubbed a memoir, Jenkins too pulls back from an autobiography: ‘One navel-gazing is wholly permissible. Two would point to self-obsession’

So, what are we, the reader, left with? Twelve Cities is a collection of essays upon Jenkins’ favourite cities (minus London). British cities are most numerous, including his former parliamentary constituencies in Birmingham and Glasgow, as well as the “hometown” of Cardiff; whilst the author waxes lyrically about both New York and Chicago; yet the main cream of his attention is saved for the European mainland: Paris, Naples, Brussels, Barcelona and Berlin. Even little Bonn gets a look in, with these European cities surely showing Jenkins’ fond affection for his time as President of the European Commission.

Mostly, the book is a collection of scattered memories and dull conversations with Jenkins’ former acquaintances. The reader is left to hear about his numerous visits to New York, the years, the residences. Perhaps the strongest essays within the book are the cities Jenkins had limited intimate knowledge; including Chicago and Barcelona. Yet even here Jenkins struggles to put in little more than a typical historical run-through of the cities past achievements and stand-out events. At no point does Jenkins ever threaten to get into the psyche of these cities, to peel back the skin and flesh out some truths.

Sitting amongst Jenkins’ long bibliography – alongside the likes of his fantastic biographies of Gladstone and Churchill – Twelve Cities is a stunted infant who knows his place; dwarfed by his larger siblings, yet with little hope of ever growing strong. As a light relief for Jenkins himself, the tonic appears to have worked. However, for the reader, Twelve Cities is a collection best left to only the most ardent Jenkins enthusiastic. And perhaps Jenkins himself would be the first to admit there aren’t too many of those around.

The Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis – The Rules of Attraction (1987)
Novel – 320 – my copy (paperback; 2006) purchased from Plymouth Waterstone’s in late 2008
- 2 nods out of 5 -

The Worm is a self-confessed Bret Easton Ellis fan. Perhaps one may have already guessed, considering the amount of space this author has taken up in previous reviews, including his first novel Less Than Zero and his most recent offering, Imperial Bedrooms.

However, The Rules of Attraction was not an instant attention grabber. Wrongly bought as the Worm foolishly believed, in a sheepishly tired state, to be Less Than Zero, thirty pages were initially read before it was ominously put upon the ‘To Read’ pile. Flash forward two years: and it was the turn of The Rules of Attraction once more.

The novel is Ellis’ second; narrated by multiple characters. It focuses its attentions primarily on Paul, Sean and Lauren; all of whom end up fucking one another, as well as a host of others. The story is the trauma of them dealing with one another, trying to make sense of themselves, in a tumultuous time when at university. Ellis, as ever, regales the reader with endless parties, with drug use (and abuse), pointless conversations, and, of course, the fucking.

The characters go round in circles, their lives are repetitious; perhaps this is Ellis’ will – or perhaps he is bereft of a greater idea. Whenever a chance to jump ship to a different view point, Ellis is ever willing to do so, mostly with pointless consequences. Due to the lack of actual plot, the novel drags in many places, before racing off, frustratingly refusing to solve the initial problems posed.

The Rules of Attraction acts as Ellis’ interim fallow period, just after the big success of Less Than Zero, and before the breakthrough that became American Psycho. And some later themes are seen in fermentation in this novel, most notably the troubling character of Sean Bateman – the psychotic Patrick Bateman’s younger brother (indeed, Patrick even makes a brief appearance). Never admitting his true feelings, leaving a life-like-dream, Sean has the infant characteristics that Ellis would use to such dramatic and sensational effect.

Within Ellis’ back catalogue, The Rules of Attraction is a book left alone. Although at times it has the author’s touch of hilarity and his bleak look upon the modern world, it fails to inspire and entertain for sustained periods. So, it is back to the pile with this book, this time labelled: ‘To Give-Away’.

Rubicon - Tom Holland

Tom Holland – Rubicon (2003)
History – 400 pages – my copy (paperback; 2007) bought from an independent bookshop in Totnes, sometime in 2008
- 4 nods out of 5 -

Tom Holland made narrative history sexy again. His first book, Rubicon, was an absolute sensation, earning plaudits far and wide, enthusiastically shown within the opening pages of this paperback edition that notes universal acclaim from all and sundry. He chose his topic well: books upon Roman history have much mileage to go; especially ones well written upon ‘The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic’.

Rubicon sets out the fall of the Roman Republic and its overthrow to become the Roman Empire, during the first century, B.C. Holland begins by settling in the reader, explaining the Republic and its paradoxes, and the century’s earlier upheaval when Sulla became dictator of Rome. This proved a temporary measure; but the next time would prove long lasting.

All of the major players are here: Caesar, Pompey, Cicero and Cato; including much, much more, from the great to the small. All their parts in Rome’s downfall are carefully plotted, whilst the characters themselves are lovingly and colourfully portrayed. Within the action, rarely does Holland intrude in order to dispute facts or bring in a debate of historians. The author notes the great holes in our knowledge of the past, yet remains confident in bringing the shards and pieces together to form a pleasing whole. As he notes in the book’s introduction: ‘a narrative may still be reconstructed – but what is gone can never be repaired’.

The climax itself occurs with Caesar’s coming of full power as Rome’s dictator; however, the story itself is not over, with Holland showing Caesar’s assassination at the hands of Brutus, the second triumvirate, continuing civil war, until Augustus’ final victory. By then, it is a new world; and all the previous players have long since departed.

Admittedly, there is nothing new within these pages. This story has been told a thousand times before; and this is the largest single fault to be found with Rubicon. However, Holland manages to conjure enthusiasm and life back to these characters and events, making them fresh again to our eyes. The author has a novelist’s touch with words and description, creating a book that is hard to put down and leave alone. For anyone wishing for an introduction into this anarchic and confusing period, nobody could do better than to pick up a copy of this book right away. And for those well informed with the period, what better way to get re-aquatinted with old friends that via a comfortable and well-stocked host?

The Little Book of Cornwall - Emma Mansfield

Emma Mansfield - The Little Book of Cornwall (2007)
Trivia – 180 pages – my copy a present one birthday
- 1 nod out of 5 -

The Little Book of Cornwall is a general assortment of places and people, throughout history and today. The author is keen to impress upon the reader: ‘The things that have started or ended here, the things Cornwall’s people have created and continue to create, the things that have changed and the things, still here, that make Cornwall so special.’

However, this “little book” is nothing more than a bunch of randomly collected tid-bits from the internet; indiscriminately gleamed from any easy-to-find website, a typical copy-and-paste exercise a school child could execute. Such is the author’s enthusiasm to display all of Cornwall’s wonder, there are glaring potholes and question marks surrounding some of the statements, dates and facts.

Of course, Mansfield herself provides a warning in the introduction, stating the book ‘isn’t a history book, a travel guide or a chronological account of the place. The facts and topics included here are not in any particular order… and this collection of information certainly isn’t a scientific research.’ All very well and good; however, one thing the reader/buyer should expect is, at the minimal, the truth. It has become a pedantic hobby of the Worm to look into local history books to verify “facts” surrounding the earls and dukes of Cornwall. Here the book comes a cropper, stating how Edward (the Black Prince, first duke of Cornwall) seemingly reigned from 1345 to 1354; thereby cutting short Edward’s time as Cornwall’s duke by several decades. Any search of Wikipedia would easily disprove this.

An attempt at a fun read through of Cornwall’s past is admirable enough, however, the basic building blocks of a book’s construction must be put in place first. This small book is wonderfully illustrated with scenic and beautifying accompanying pictures; however, the statements themselves – the main meat and potatoes of the whole project – is sadly lacking. Ultimately, it is what it is: a fast published book, catered for the holiday-makers who travel to Cornwall in their droves each and every year. Next up? Why, of course: The Little Book of Devon. Just what the tourists need!

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare – Romeo & Juliet
Play – read as iPhone app in January 2011
- 4 nods out of 5 -

The newly released animated film, Gnomeo & Juliet, shows once again the popularity of two of Shakespeare’s most enduring characters. We never forget the balcony scene, in which Juliet cries out for her Romeo. It has been retold, upon the stage in seventeenth century England, upon black and white in Hollywood, on the silver and small screens, decade after decade.

For those (few) not acquainted with the play, it follows the secret relationship of Romeo and Juliet; both from different families who are fierce rivals in the city of Verona. As Juliet herself says, ‘My only love sprung from my only hate!’ Their search for lasting love is, as with many things of Shakespeare, cut tragically short in the play’s climax.

Despite its popularity, Romeo & Juliet is certainly not one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Both our major protagonists are dull and, despite their language, unconvincing. But for more colourful smaller roles, most notably Mercutio, the play is about the pace of the plot, with unfolding suspense taking us to the book’s brutal conclusion. And because of this, the play is a fantastic read as a book, upon the stage, or even – as recent technology allows – as an iPhone app!

It carries many of Shakespeare’s most identifiable quotes. Not just ‘Romeo, o Romeo’, but also ‘What’s in a name. That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet’; including Romeo’s honest declaration: ‘O, I am fortune’s fool!’ Whilst the lovers’ language is pure poetry, such as Juliet’s lamentation: ‘My bounty is boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.’

The moral of the story? Of course, that true love knows no limits. Yet, more than that, Shakespeare’s play is a promotion of peace between families and rivals. As the Prince of Verona concludes, ‘Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague! See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love. And I for winking at your discords too.’ It is this fierce rivalry, this intense love, that keeps Romeo & Juliet relevant to generation after generation. After an animated gnome format, what next for these two star crossed lovers?