Fathers and Children - Ivan Turgenev

I'm not sure how appropriate this illustration is - it appears extremely Stalinist in tone and

Turgenev is from a different century - and another age. This story is set about the time of the emancipation of the serfs, and inevitably is concerned with the ruling class who seem to live lives so detached from reality as to make the reader believe that this is beyond fiction - more like fantasy. I suppose the author is attempting to satirise this elite - the peasants spend a great deal of their time making fun of their rulers, the aristocracy spend a great deal of time discussing in theoretical terms the 'peasant problem' 'the agricultural question' or 'the poltical system' - but never actually do anything about it. the sons are all passionate, enthusiastic, scientific and modern - the fathers stuck in the past, clinging to religion and superstition. Both sets of people seem hindbound by convention in all matters (even though one of the characters claims to be a nihilist) especially those relating to romance, family, marriage and love. I found this an immensely frustrating book - full of irritating characters and stereotypes - and I'm not convinced I'll return to Russian C19th literature for some time. Rating 5/10

Southwold Literature Festival & Chris Patten in conversation with James Naughtie

A review of both these 'book related' events will appear shortly on my 'Steve's Journal' blog......

The End of the Affair - Graham Greene

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer

I was really pleased to have this suggested to me - it is a real find and I've given copies to several of my friends. The format reminds me strongly of Helene Hanff's 84

Charing Cross Road - a series of letters and telegrams. Shortly after WWII journalist and writer Juliet receives a letter out of the blue from someone in Guernsey who has picked up one of Juliet's second hand books. This leads her to a whole variety of correspondence with people who lived through the German Occupation of the Channel Islands. Most of them got through the bad times through the Literary Society that begins as a front organisation to fool the German occupiers. Juliet learns so much about these people and soon becomes their friend and supporter and at the same time discovers much about herself and who her true friends are. Rating 8/10.

The Age of Reform - Sir Llewellyn Woodward

This is part of the massive The Oxford History of England series. I was prompted to read it

because I have been listening to the wonderful BBC series This Sceptred Isle. There was a reference to the fall of the Melbourne Government in the 1830s because of an issue over the Jamaican Representative Assembly.

Excellent Women - Barbara Pym

Barbara Pym is one of my favourite authors, not to everyone's taste, but I return to this book regularly, and it always makes me laugh.

The Civil War - Julius Caesar

Books of Poetry

I don't read poetry often, and really find it quite difficult. Is it the lack of a real plot? I quite like (and regularly return to) Tennyson, but envy those who were taught poetry to memorise and can recall appropriate extracts to suit the time and the purpose. These three slim volume caught my eye and sit by my bedside. I pluck readings at random or a title will catch my mood. I'm certain I will derive several hours of entertainment from these books, and would recommend them to others who find poetry an unknown country, unfathomable and too deep. The letters between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett are a welcome diversion too. Rating 8/10