What I'm reading

The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling

Other than the fact that (as my sister Anna said) this book comes alive when describing adolescents, it’s hard to believe it’s by the same author as the Harry Potter series, so different are both the style and the content.

    It’s set in a small West Country town and deals with the fallout from the premature death of a member of its council. In some ways it reminds me of Dickens – lots of characters, social comment and long (500 pages), but so far (and I’m only 100 pages in) I’m missing a central character with which to identify. In fact, most of the characters are pretty ghastly (or, at least, portrayed without sympathy), but my sister assures me this changes as you get further on, so I will persevere.



How do you scan paperbacks?



Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

I first read this a few years ago – probably in 2004 when it came out – but, having discovered it’s being made into a film, I was motivated to pick it up again.

    I remember being quite baffled by it first time round, although I loved it, and it certainly makes more sense this time, but whether that’s because it needs two readings or because our (my) conception of plot has developed I don’t know.

    It consists of six stories connected in different ways (including perhaps reincarnation) ranging from the nineteenth century to the future. First time round I was fascinated by the  story about a grim future where human clones do all the boring work and most of the globe is contaminated (by nuclear fallout?). This time I enjoyed the two stories set in the near-present, one in thriller genre about a woman journalist trying to find out about safety problems at her local nuclear power plant, and the other a semi-humorous autobiography by an ageing publisher.

    As you will have realised by now, the style of each story is different, and this is intriguing. I have a feeling I didn’t read the central story before as it’s done in a futuristic dialect and, as I’m sure you’ll agree, dialect is hell to read. However, it is worth making the effort (and you do get used to the dialect) as this section explains the title and gives the book its point. (What that point is, I won't say or comment on as that might spoil the book for you.)

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

And here’s the latest book by a new author. If you want enjoyable, easy, murder mysteries set in the Norfolk countryside with a delightfully fallible, female, forty-something, forensic-archaeologist heroine, this series is for you too. But do read it in order, as there’s a love story that runs through all the books. There are five in the series so far and the first is called The Crossing Places.