30 September, 2009
The Long Firm was Jake Arnott’s first novel and as such is a very accomplished work. It traces the life of a London villain over 30 years and is a real education in the subtleties of villainy. Interwoven are references to real people which helps to make it feel authentic, but what best illustrates the author’s skill is the changing language and attitudes he portrays over the three decades.
Some of the detail in the novel is not for the squeamish and there is a toughness in the writing which I enjoyed. Arnott explores in some detail the homosexual nature of the main character, Harry Starks, an East End gangster, and his relationships with his lovers and other members of the criminal fraternity. At one point Harry explains himself – ‘I’m not queer, I am homosexual’.
As a Londoner I thought the use of the vernacular was good and his descriptions of the changing face of Soho well observed, and in particular he illustrated the changing nature of crime as well as the attitude of the police and public towards it. For non-Londoners this is a handy guide to the capital's recent criminal history.
Finally this novel had what I considered to be a good ending – tidy, with just a few loose ends.
30 September, 2009
This novel is a sequel to The Long Firm and it takes up the story decades later. It is well written, exciting and very entertaining. Good writing like this works on several levels and this is not without its irony. Meehan, the central character, is a ghost writer hack who aspires to write something great but he is constantly pressured by his publisher to turn out another one just like the last one. No prizes for guessing where that one came from. I felt as I read the book that Arnott was trying to break out of the straightjacket but did not succeed.
There may have been other pressures and I think that may be why I did not enjoy this as much as The Long Firm. His first novel was rough around the edges and that suited the subject matter perfectly, but this one has lost its edginess. Most of the action is narrated by Julie (the daughter of a murdered hoodlum) and she was just not convincing. I found this fascinating and I am not sure that I can explain it – she just didn’t sound like a 20-year-old drama graduate, but her boyfriend and his mate were perfect.
What Mr Arnott does to perfection is evoke the cockney character, and as I was born within the sound of those Bow Bells I can attest to that. Yes, he has a good grasp of the language, but there is something else quite intangible which personifies the true cockney.
I thought there were great possibilities when Meehan confessed through the dialogue that he had himself committed multiple murders, and it prised open a new dimension, but it faded and no more was mentioned of his crimes – pity, I felt there was something there...
October 4, 2009
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
This novel is the story of an eight year old boy’s search for his father lost in the World Trade Centre disaster of September 11th. The author tells the majority of the story through the experiences of the young boy and his search to find the lock to fit a key he believes his father has left him as a clue to his fate. He captures the personality of an odd-ball kid in a totally convincing manner. There is a lot of father and son stuff in this book.
Foer has been feted as America’s finest young writer (born 1970) and slated as a hack and a gimmicky writer. True, this is a novel with several different storylines, and there are some challenging episodes; a sculptor who has never sculpted and has lost the power of speech; a 105-year-old retired journalist who has accumulated a vast database of one word biographies; and a woman who lives on the top of the Empire State building. I thought it worked brilliantly.
After I had read the book I was able to think about New York in a different way; for example, what apartment living was like, the mythology of the sixth borough and how Central Park anchors New York.
The book had a message and I always like that, especially if it is subtle, and the message of this book was that good things can come out of tragic loss, even though the event can also blight future generations. I also admired the absence of bitterness towards those responsible.
June 4, 2008
The written word is an important way to communicate and for most people being able to put ideas and proposals down on paper is a useful skill. Over the years I have had plenty of opportunity to do that and I have also done some scribbling in the background.
This has not only made me appreciate what real writers do, but also added a flourish to my copy writing.
I have recently completed The Pool, a novel conceived one summer while sitting by the hotel swimming pool as a story for baby-boomers in reflective mood. If you would be interested in knowing more and reading an excerpt from The Pool then click here.
January 14, 2010
Authors Review Index
A black comedy centred around an assassin with no trace of a conscience
Silence of the Grave By Arnaldur Indridason
A powerful murder mystery from this Icelandic crime writer
Looking Good Dead By Peter James
You might be better off taking this advice
A great sci-fi adventure which was the inspiration for the Star Wars phenomenon
Here lies Arthur By Philip Reeve
Thoroughly enjoyable historical fantasy, especially for grown-ups who like a good tale
Elixir of Death By Bernard Knight
Shedding some light on the dark ages, Knight explores some less well known aspects of this often neglected period
Fandom of the Operator By Robert Rankin
A black comedic romp with a light touch and a great feel for period
The Butcher of Smithfield by Susanna Gregory
Chaloner's third exploit
Burdett writes with great authority about Bangkok
The tale of the destruction of Pompeii
The sequel to The Long Firm
Jake Arnott’s first novel
Extremely loud and incredibly close by Jonathan Safran Foer
An eight year old boy’s search for his father
State of fear by Michael Crichton
In State of Fear Crichton takes on the global warming movement
A Rebus novel
Praying for Sleep by Jeffery Deaver
Praying for Sleep is one of his earlier novels