Books
Namely a pre Bloodstock entry
A Bloodstock entry
And a Post Bloodstock entry.
These probably will happen at some time soon, but I've decided for now to push this aside for a bit of a BOOK entry - cos books are cool, innit!?
I've been reading lots, because its the summer holidays and I can actually take the time to enjoy what I'm reading. Not that I don't enjoy what I read academically for university but I seem to devour my 'fun' (that is, unrequired reading) reading at a far greater speed for the most part.
First I suppose its worth mentioning I reccently read Donna Tart's "The Secret Histories" which is such an incredibly crafted, and beautifully decadent book that its made its way into my top reads. Something about the academic elitism, the darkening tone, the very physical wealthy descriptions all combined to make this book absolutely delicious to me to the extent that I regretted having made plans which required me to leave it behind, goodness me.
Something else which entertained me was ,Richard, the narrator's subsequent change at the end of the novel, in his major from classics to English literature:
"I spent all my time in the library, reading the Jacobean dramatists. Webster and Middleton, Tourneur and Ford. It was an obscure specialisation, but the candlelit and treacherous universe in which they moved - of sin unpunished, of innocence destroyed - was one I found appealing. Even the titles of their plays were strangely seductive, trapdoors to something beautiful and wicked that trickled beneath the surface of morality."
I think this is beautifully phrased, and I approve of his choice of subject, even though Richard himself probably has more reason than me to be entranced by the ambiguity of morality.
I've also reccently finished reading "The Girls" by Lori Lansens, a fictional autobiography of conjoined twins, a book I purchased a few years back because I thought it had a pretty cover but which did not quite live up to my cover based expectations.
I've also read "The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger which is a deliciously addictive read that I was unwilling to part with. Although fairly predictable in part its a very romantic love story with a time travel twist, but incredibly well written and very enjoyable.
Finally, the book I am currently reading, "The End of Mr Y" by Scarlett Thomas. This is another novel based in academia, but this time in a UK university which, in every description appeared to me to sound more and more like the University of Kent, 1960s uni, complete from its descriptions of colleges and college bars (The "decrepit little bar in Russell building" with stained sofas sounding unaccountably like old Rutherford bar) even the ring road round the city and the view of the Cathedral from campus which disapears in bad weather.
Finally the similarities became to great to ignore and I found myself learning (with no great surprise) that Scarlett Thomas is a lecturer in English and Creative Writing at The University of Kent, which is quite cool - another one to add to the list of UKC authors I've read along with Sarah Waters, David Mitchell and Kazuo Ishiguro.
The book itself is fairly interesting, I'm not so far into it to know how it will go entirely, it certainly doesn't appear to be quite so well crafted as "The Secret Histories" but it is intriging. I'm enjoying all the academic references (as I tend to in fiction, I feel pleased when I know of whom they are talking about and often intrigued if I don't. Books like this make me want to be a general genius and know-it-all - not that this could ever happen. University Challenge makes me feel the same way too!).
Funnily the narrator, Ariel, at one point spends her final fifty pounds (on books of course) and is left to survive 3 weeks on five pounds. When I returned from Bloodstock to Canterbury I found myself left with only 3 pounds, completely bare cupboards and no petrol. Whilst I somehow managed to buy enough food for a couple of days with this (and like Ariel, almost found the attempt exciting) I was very pleased when I managed to get my overdraft extended and actually buy some real food.
Anyway, as interesting as the book is and as much as I could talk on - I must now depart for bed. I'm working on the phonelines during Clearing and tomorrow A level results are in so the phonelines will be INSANE with panicking students checking their places, or applying for new ones and I shall have to deal with it. Still 9.40 an hour makes it worthwhile (I hope) but I wish I got paid before the end of September!
Night x







