Kazuo Ishiguro

It is that time of year where the Nobel Prizes are being handed out; announcements which are made after a lengthy consultation process. The prize for Literature is normally reserved for the most influential contemporary writers, but after last year’s unprecedented venture into the lyrics of Bob Dylan, there was an open mind over who could possibly be the recipient for 2017.

Step forward Kazuo Ishiguro, the Japanese-born English author who has so far been responsible for eight novels, including the famed Remains of the Day; adapted into a film that was nominated for an Academy Award in 1993.

Profile

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki in 1954, but moved to the United Kingdom at an early age before studying English, philosophy, and of course, creative writing at university.

He published his first novel in 1982, entitled A Pale View of Hills, and after receiving widespread critical acclaim on debut, he went on to develop his unique and distinguished literary style during the next decade, culminating in the success of Remains of the Day.

His publishing style is meticulous and methodical, a trait that hasn’t changed throughout his 35-year career. Releasing a collection of short stories becomes a journey of deep thought and deliberation, while all his work must pass the test of being read first by his wife…

In more recent years Ishiguro has continued to create abstract settings, containing characters of various complexity, with his 2005 work Never Let Me Go also adapted for the big screen. His latest novel is 2015’s The Buried Giant.

Why was he awarded the prize?

The Nobel Prize for Literature is usually presented to somebody who has changed the face and future of the field, or written with such deep intelligence or sophistication. Ishiguro has never failed to teach us new ways of communicating through literature, or creating substantial intrigue over the meaning behind his work.

He creates fascinating settings which are never obviously defined. None of of his books are set in contemporary British – or indeed worldwide society, though the Japanese influences are there, especially in his earlier novels.

We see the power of thought running through the enlightening pages of his work, and therein lies the ability to carve the perfect blend of characters and landscapes. His protagonists are somewhat unlikely, yet they are all portrayed with such depth, and the skill of the writing makes them resonate with the reader.

Verdict

There can be no question that Ishiguro is a very worthy winner of this most prestigious prize. He writes thoughtfully, adopting a style and process that is different from any of his peers.

For me, the best writers are those who are not exactly revolutionary, but tell stories in their own idiosyncratic way, displaying worldly intellect and intricate synopses. Ishiguro has more than earned the recognition for doing just that.

Moving On

It’s National Poetry Day, so I thought I’d mark the occasion by sharing a poem which I’ve hastily come up with, reflecting the fact I am about to start in a new job.

For two and-a-half years I have been a business administration apprentice at the Bristol Medical School, at the University of Bristol, UK. From next Monday, I will become a fully-paid permanent employee, working for the School of Arts, so I’ve written this little poem, called ‘Moving On’.

Thirty months of learning the ropes
Of skimming through the anthology of admin
So many pages still left unturned
Simply the end of a blissful first chapter

It’s time to swap magnets for music
And replace brains with mere bones
As I dabble with the artful crowd
And leave the clinicians behind

No more education, no more assessments
Yet still plenty to learn and discover
As I further my unforeseen career
At a place I wholeheartedly revere

My Publishing Process

Last week I achieved one of my long-term goals – I published an e-book on Amazon Kindle! I can now officially call myself an author! Here’s to it being the first of many…

The writing and publishing process was a long and difficult one, but the experience was amazing and it has only filled me with a desire to do plenty more. Besides, I rather like writing.

This may disappoint some of you, but it isn’t a work of dramatic fiction or a captivating novel. I want to do fiction some day soon, but much of my background is non-fiction, particularly sport. This book is a documentation of a five-year period of the history of my favourite football club, told mostly from my perspective.

I first had the idea for this book way back at the end of 2013, when I wrote the first 10,000 words or so, a lot of it in first person. But then it got shelved, a decision I took for several reasons:

1. I had lots of other more important things in my life to address;
2. I didn’t have time due to my other writing commitments;
3. I wasn’t a good enough or experienced enough writer at the time.

As I gained more experience through writing for websites and magazines over the years that followed, I detected a major improvement in my standard of writing to the extent where I now feel I’m highly accomplished.

I finished contributing regularly to websites in the summer of 2016, and I thought it was a perfect time to return to my unfinished book. Starting by removing all first-person pronouns, I created a consistent and structured narrative right up until the book’s conclusion; around 80,000 words of copy which I managed to complete by the end of April 2017.

The hardest part given the word count was not repeating myself too often or using the same turns of phrase. I am very particular about my writing style, vocabulary and syntax, so I spent plenty of time deliberating!

But it wasn’t simply a case of writing it. To ensure everything was correct and as detailed as I wanted it, I needed to do a LOT of research across various websites, literature and online sources. There was also plenty of archive footage which I needed to find, watch and accurately describe.

In terms of publishing it, I needed to create an Amazon Kindle account, which consisted of lots of forms that needed filling out. Then came the formatting, a painstaking but strangely enjoyable process.

Obtaining permission from the club took rather longer, with various email threads coming to nothing before I finally got a positive response. A cover photograph was my only expenditure, spending £30 to a professional photographer to provide me with an image from a decade ago.

Even that required a bit of formatting, but it was the final step, and to my great pleasure, I could at last press the ‘publish’ button, some five months after putting the finishing touches to the book.

Hope you didn’t mind me sharing this with you! Back to the actual book talk next time 🙂

Book to Film Review – The Girl on the Train

As someone who likes reading as much as I do, it took me a frighteningly long time to get round to starting on The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, the novel which – perhaps more than any other in the last decade – has become a total phenomenon.

It’s now the archetypal psychological thriller, and an inspiration for many similar novels to have followed. Indeed, the book proved so unbelievably popular, that barely a year after it was published, it had been adapted into a film starring Emily Blunt.

Why was the book so successful?

The Girl on the Train is told from the perspectives of three different women over the course of two different time frames, and all of their lives become inextricably connected, and  – in the case of Rachel and Anna – entangled. We get to know what each of them thinks and feels, but we don’t know until the end, whether they are reliable narrators.

Readers were able to empathise with the insecurity of hapless alcoholic Rachel, and it’s her search for the truth which really drives the novel forward towards its dramatic conclusion. She reflects the desire of the reader to decipher what really happened to the victim, Megan, a multi-layered character haunted by past traumas.

It was a captivating story so full of complexity, but most of all it represented such a different take on what is essentially a basic premise. While Gone Girl is told from multiple perspectives and tenses, Hawkins goes a step further with The Girl on the Train and becomes a literary trailblazer in the process, with the help of some top-notch marketing.

My Book Verdict

Given all of the hype around The Girl on the Train, I had high expectations when I began reading it, and I can hardly say I was disappointed. It’s not perfect, but it certainly succeeds in grabbing my attention throughout and roping me into the mystery of what happened to Megan, and what’s more what would happen between Rachel and Anna.

Every interaction involving the three narrators carries great significance, as does every reference to their past lives. My only criticisms come regarding the big reveal as to who turned out to be the killer, and the ending. Hawkins does her best to shield the truth, but I managed to guess right earlier than I expected. The ending also could have been handled better, but on the whole, an excellent read.

The Film

Just a day after finishing the book, I decided to watch the film, which by lucky coincidence, had just appeared on Amazon Prime Video (don’t do Netflix!). I found it quite watchable, but in the end I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment.

The first thing which is clear to see is that the story has been Americanised, with the exception of Emily Blunt in the title role. That is not necessarily a problem, but it does take something away from the context of the story, while Blunt does at times seem out of place – the stereotypical Englishwoman in New York.

Blunt actually produces a reliably strong performance, but the character of Rachel seems very unstable and ethereal. Anna is given very little depth, and is doesn’t come across anywhere near as paranoid as she does in the book, while of the three, Megan is probably the most wholesome portrayal.

The supporting characters are very hit and miss. The two husbands, Scott and Tom, are in my humble opinion, miscast. You basically know who the bad guy is just through their general demeanour. As for Kamal Abdic the therapist, his significance is lost in a convoluted story.

Overall assessment

You won’t find many contemporary books that carry as much significance as The Girl on the Train, for which Hawkins has made a name for herself as a first-rate and celebrated thriller writer.

The film was a disappointing reflection on her work, but as most of us book-lovers know only too well, there is rarely a film that we grow to adore more than the book on which it was based.

Verdict – The Silkworm

So, after sampling the glitz and glamour of the world of fashion modelling to investigate the death of enigmatic celebrity Lula Landry, private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott were suddenly thrust into the writing sphere as Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling to you and I) crime thriller series continued.

After a fine adaptation of The Cuckoo’s Calling, I was confident that the next TV retelling of the Strike novels would also be a satisfying watch, and for the most part it is, as the intriguing character of Strike uses his casual but sharp powers of deduction to unravel a complex case containing many curious suspects.

What’s it about?

After solving the Lula Landry case, Cormoran Strike now has a plentiful supply of clients, but is then handed a missing persons case by housewife Leonora Quine, whose husband Owen, a noted author, has disappeared.

It turns out the manuscript for Quine’s latest novel, Bombyx Mori, contains numerous crude references to many of the people in his personal and professional life, including publisher Elizabeth Tassel, editor Jerry Waldegrave, fellow author Andrew Fancourt, and his mistress Kathryn Kent.

Strike later finds Quine’s remains, and Leonora is then suspected of murder, leading the detective to fight to clear her name and apprehend the real killer. In doing so, he discovers that the published manuscript of Bombyx Mori was not in fact the work of Quine.

Meanwhile, the working relationship between Strike and Robin grows stronger as Robin aspires to become a detective like him. In contrast, her rapport with fiancee Matthew falters slightly as she continues to prioritise a job that he doesn’t approve of.

Changes from the book

• The character Christian Fraser does not appear. To be fair, he was expendable.
• In the book, Fancourt’s first name was Michael, not Andrew. Why on earth did that need to be changed???
• Robin’s family in Yorkshire do not appear. They might have been helpful additions, to show the extent of the strain in Robin and Matthew’s relationship.
• The killer is apprehended differently, as in the book Robin poses as a bogus taxi driver.

Casting

The on-screen chemistry between the brilliant Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger make me identify with the main characters just as well as I do in the book, and I particularly liked Grainger’s more sympathetic and emotional portrayal of Robin than in The Cuckoo’s Calling.

Monica Dolan seems to specialise in playing shabby middle-aged women, so fits the bill for Leonora, while it was wonderful to see an actress with a disability play (Sarah Gordy) such a prominent role, as the character of Orlando played such an important part in the story.

Tim McInnerny brought prestige to the role of Daniel Chard; and an icy charm was given to the respective roles of Fancourt (Peter Sullivan) and Elizabeth Tassel (Lia Williams) respectively. Sullivan in particular looked sinister throughout.

Good points

• The acting performances;
• The developing relationship between Strike and Robin;
• Excellent character depth;
• Production design and costuming;
• The sophisticated telling of the backstory involving Quine, Tassel and Fancourt.

Bad points

• Just a two-part story made it feel a bit rushed, as The Silkworm is a long book;
• A hastily explained conclusion;
• References to Charlotte (Strike’s ex) are not relevant.

Verdict

I think The Silkworm has been another triumph. A completely different and more graphic story to The Cuckoo’s Calling, but one in which the characters continue to be engaging and intriguing in equal measure.

The mystery is not quite as sophisticated, but as an adaptation, it just about finds the right balance in terms of being faithful to the book, but making a good drama in its own right. If it was spread of three parts, it might have been ever better.

Into the Grass

Aside from reading books and writing books, I am also known to write poetry – whenever I have the time! I like writing poetry because it allows me to explore writing techniques, and be creative with how I use words and vocabulary. There’s also a sense of freedom in that you can write about and describe anything you like.

The idea for this one came after a student (at the University of Bristol, where I work) showed me a very pretty photo that she had taken on her mobile phone, depicting a large empty field of long grass under a sunlit backdrop.

I wrote this in order to prove to myself that I was capable of turning something innocuous into a half-decent literary creation, something that requires a precious commodity which I can sometimes lack – imagination.

It may be Roald Dahl Day, but this is hardly what you’d call a Revolting Rhyme! Here goes:

We stroll gently through the long grass
Clambering over reeds and thorns,
A single flower
Glistening like a star in the moonlight
Oblivious to the surrounding din, 
A cacophony of sound
Crickets click from the depths of nearby shrubs
We hear the delicate rustling of leaves
As snakes move menacingly beneath our feet
Birds are twittering in the trees
And parasitic insects deliver bites to our knees

So thus we battle through nature’s garden
Scampering stealthily in a bid for freedom
Desperate to make our escape
As we become more vulnerable to the fading light
Mice scurrying ahead of us
And we follow
The grass fighting back like never before
Trapping our ankles to the leaden ground
There’s no-one around to help us get away,
Leaving predators free to ravage their prey

Book analysis – The Girl Before by JP Delaney

Another post, another psychological thriller to discuss! This one certainly caught the eye from the moment it was released in early 2017, and offers another fascinating take on the genre.

It is quickly becoming an unwritten rule for the best (at least by common consent) psychological thrillers to contain the word ‘Girl’ in the title, and another growing trend is that each new entry seems to find itself compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, even when the plot couldn’t be any more dissimilar.

What is for sure is that The Girl Before definitely tries its best to gain an equal standing with those two pillars of modern literature. It contains some fine twists, but some leave the impression that Delaney was trying too hard to catch the reader unaware. All the same, it remains a very decent novel which keeps you interested right to the end.

What’s it about?

The Girl Before is based on an interesting premise. It is set in the past and the present, involving two women who live in the same house. 1 Folgate Street is an artistic masterpiece of sorts, created by architect Edward Monkton, who lived there himself until his wife and child died, prompting him to make it available to the public.

In order to live there, residents are obliged to follow over 200 separate conditions, overseen by Monkton himself. As a setting, the house creates a feeling of great intrigue and mystery, defining the lives of two fairly tragic female narrators.

In the past, Emma moves into the house after being threatened by knife-wielding intruders, but ultimately ends up dead; a fact discovered by new tenant Jane in the present, who has moved in for a new start after giving birth to a stillborn baby.

A concerned Jane investigates the circumstances of Emma’s death, and it turns out that there are ominous similarities between the two women. They both look quite like Monkton’s wife, and have engaged in a relationship with the architect, so the suspicion builds.

But as you would expect, there are many more layers, so the immediate assumption that Monkton is the sole guilty party is much too simple. Both narrators are hiding something, and what lies beneath are some simple explanations, disguised by a combination of complexity and coincidence.

Characterisation

One thing I have to admit about psychological thrillers is that many of the characters do very little to help maintain my faith in human nature – but isn’t that what makes them so readable?!

All three of the main characters here are revealed to be selfish schemers, each with their own motive, and each with their own means of trying to get what they want. Ultimately, it is the skill with which Delaney makes you trust Emma and Jane – at least to some extent – that makes the outcome less predictable.

The Author

JP Delaney is something of an enigma. We know (at least we think we know) that this is his first psychological thriller, and that he is an experienced author who has written bestselling novels in the past. He also uses more than one pseudonym.

Some internet sources make some suggestions as to who he really is, but I think its a good thing that there’s an air of mystery. After all, it keeps us all talking then, doesn’t it?

Delaney uses the now customary elements of psychological thrillers frequently in The Girl Before, and succeeds where a lesser writer may have come up short. Switching genre takes a lot of hard work and a change in approach, so although there are times here where he does seem to be trying too hard, he produced a compelling piece of work.

Verdict

There are many things to admire in The Girl Before, especially in the way that the overarching mystery plays out, and the unexpected twists which make your assumptions change full circle.

The concept, the setting, and the uniqueness of some of the plot points do make it standout. It isn’t a revolutionary tale like some of its contemporaries, but it certainly leaves its mark.

Book review – Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

Every now and then you come across a book which, when you begin reading, becomes your life. From the moment I read the first sentence, which happens to be a question, I was completely absorbed, and went on to speed through its 338 pages in double-quick time.

One of the standout releases of 2017, I was enticed by the general concept of Good Me Bad Me and its sheer volume of positive reviews, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. This is another novel I’d recommend to anyone who likes a hard-hitting psychological thriller.

What’s it about?

Annie’s mother is a serial child killer. To make it stop, Annie handed her in to the police, and she is now awaiting trial for nine murders.

After being given a new name – Milly – she moves in with an affluent foster family, aiming for a fresh start in life while preparing to give evidence at her mother’s trial.

Milly undergoes a powerful and challenging emotional journey as she battles with the horrific secrets of her past and struggles to break free of her mother’s villainy and manipulation.

Beset by internal struggles at the same time as harbouring a desire to break free of her mother’s psychological grip, Milly develops complex relationships with all of those around her, and is met with a mixture of warmth, sympathy, and suspicion.

Themes

This book goes very deep, as we uncover the most intricate workings of Milly’s mind and the level to which she has suffered from – and been influenced by – the psychological and emotional abuse of her mother. This is the overarching theme of the book, and Land handles this with an expert touch to create an eloquent depiction.

There are descriptions of cold-blooded kidnap and death, but not overly detailed. We also experience tales of grief, bullying (both verbal and cyber), and sexual assault, all of which are touched upon with striking realism.

What makes it a must-read?

Land clearly has a talent for creating memorable and well-developed characters, and an understanding of the issues and concepts which make up their rather tragic story.

The character of Milly is so complex, and although she is the narrator, you’re never quite sure at any point in the book whether she is incurably like her mother, if she really wants to break free of her demons and start anew, or has inherited her mother’s ruthlessness and is willing to do absolutely anything in order to benefit herself. To do that takes a wonderful level of storytelling.

The accurate depiction of real-life scenes, in various settings such as the school, the courtroom, hospital, and psychological sessions. These really shine through, as they all add to the intrigue over where and how the book will end.

The Ending

This sounds like a contradiction, but the ending to Good Me Bad Me is a little predictable, yet quite unexpected, as it reveals the truth about Milly and her actions, but leaves several unanswered questions about her future.

All the same, it is extremely tragic, especially when you’ve come to care for Milly over the course of the novel, despite all her problems. It is the only part of the book I would have changed to make it more justifiable, though perhaps only for sentimental reasons.

The Author

This was Ali Land’s debut novel, and a lot of the content weighs heavily on her former career as a mental health nurse. She has witnessed and experienced remarkable and heartbreaking personal trials first-hand, and her knowledge really helps to make Good Me Bad Me the story that it is.

Verdict

Good Me Bad Me is not for the faint-hearted, but it delivers a captivating and thought-provoking plot which will take you on an unpredictable emotional journey. The characters are rich and detail and depth, but its the unending questions about the psyche of Milly and her ultimate fate, where it leaves the greatest impact.

 

The Cuckoo’s Calling… The Verdict

Like so many others, I was desperately looking forward to seeing the BBC’s three-part adaptation of Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling’s!) The Cuckoo’s Calling, featuring the intriguing Private Investigator, Cormoran Strike, and his assistant Robin Ellacott.

Having loved all three books in the series published to date, this was a must-watch for me, so here is my verdict!

What’s it about?

Cormoran Strike is an army sergeant turned Private Investigator, who is now living in his office after leaving his girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell. The estranged son of a famous rock star, Strike is struggling financially until he asked to investigate the death of famous model Lula Landry, who fell from a balcony.

With the help of Robin, his impressive and versatile new temp, Strike uses his sharp mind and investigative techniques to track down and interview all the potential suspects during a complex case which takes many unexpected turns. Who killed Lula Landry? Or was it simply suicide, as the police had concluded?

Was it faithful to the book?

Absolutely. I was actually surprised how faithful the series was to Galbraith’s novel. Aside from a couple of slight adjustments, such as the role of Fred and Tansy Bestigui, and the weaker emphasis placed on the significance of Lula’s relationship with Guy Some, the story was more or less identical – just condensed into three compelling hours of television.

I was especially impressed with the handling of Lula’s family background, and the discovery of Jonah Agyeman, as well as the presentation of Strike himself. From the novels it is clear that Strike is not your average detective, and his personality and mannerisms are captured perfectly on screen.

Casting

If you’d excuse the pun, the BBC struck gold when casting Tom Burke to play Strike. As already discussed, he encapsulates everything the character is meant to be – shrewd, forensically attuned to the intricacies and complexities of the case, yet very calculating.

Holliday Grainger is also the ideal fit for Robin, and gives a tremendously charismatic performance. She develops a strong connection with Burke, which is important for future stories as the relationship between the two characters progresses.

Kerr Logan conveys Matthew’s (Robin’s fiancee) jealousy very nicely, while Leo Bill produces an irritably restless turn as John Bristow. Meanwhile, veteran actors Martin Shaw and Sian Phillips add some prestige.

As for Lula, she’s played by Elarica Gallagher, who looks the part. So does another former Harry Potter actress, Genevieve Gaunt, who has a minor role as Guy Some’s PA. Last time I saw her she looked much different…asking Draco Malfoy if Buckbeak the Hippogriff had caused him lasting damage…

Points for improvement

All three episodes made for great viewing, but these things would have made it even better:

• We could have seen a little more of Robin’s vulnerable side and her desire to be an investigator like Strike. She was well realised but seemed more self-confident than in the book, rather than simply daring.
• Fred and Tansy Bestigui should have got more coverage. Strike’s interview with Fred was cut.
• Shanker was miscast and badly characterised compared to the book. I expected more of a streetwise ‘gangster’ type.

Verdict

Overall I think The Cuckoo’s Calling was adapted wonderfully, from the opening titles to the unravelling of the mystery of who killed Lula Landry. Strike and Robin make for just as charismatic and compelling a partnership as they do in the books, so thank you to the BBC for recreating a novel that I and so many others have grown to love.

And the good news is…we move straight on to The Silkworm next Sunday, the second novel in the series.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh… Analysis

When I first came across this book, it immediately caught my eye. After reading the back cover and taking a quick flick through the pages, I knew that this was one I needed to get started on ASAP, and take pride of place in my collection.

Being from the city where the book is mostly set (Bristol, UK), I  Let You Go spoke to me in a significant way right from the start, but the story is so tense and full of unexpected twists. It had me on the edge of my seat!

What’s it about?

A young boy called Jacob is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Following the incident, the haunted narrator Jenna Gray leaves Bristol and tries to start a new life in a small Welsh village while the police investigation into Jacob’s death takes shape.

Jenna is hiding the truth about her life – and Jacob’s death – to everyone, and it’s down to the police to uncover the truth, and that is when the twists really set in. For those of you who haven’t read the book, never think you’ve worked it out at the end.

Themes

I Let You Go is a thrilling read, but like most modern psychological thrillers it deals with sensitive issues, and Mackintosh handles them brilliantly. The most prominent themes are domestic violence; mental health issues, and grief.

The Author

You wouldn’t have thought it, but this masterpiece was actually Clare Mackintosh’s debut novel. She crafts and weaves the plot together beautifully, delivering twists at the right moments and providing a satisfying conclusion.

Before becoming an author, Mackintosh served in the police force, so her knowledge and experience of police procedure really shine through in I Let You Go, including the court scenes.

Strengths

• Combining first, second and third person narration;
• The detail and depth of the police investigation;
• The atmospheric settings;
• A first-rate depiction of domestic violence;
• Sudden and unexpected plot twists;
• A dramatic ending.

Weaknesses

• Until the end, part one is a little predictable after Jenna heads for Wales;
• No resolution for DI Evans and his family.

Summary

I Let You Go is a must read for all lovers of psychological thrillers. The strength and depth of the narrative is captivating and at times breathtaking, which all owes to the skill of Mackintosh. In short, very few novels have drawn me in as much as this one, and I’d recommend it.