Saturday, December 27, 2003
Never let it be said that the internet has not brought literacy to a generation blighted by MTV and progressive schooling. As if to prove my literary worth I now present:
What I read on my holidays, by Rufus Cartwright, aged 26 and 3/4
The Book of Eels Tom Fort
This book is an extremely engaging work of popular science, exploring the history of eels. I have long been fascinated by the fact that all eels are born in the Sargasso Sea, and this book really digs into the history of how that was discovered. It also investigates modern eel fishing and cuisine worldwide. This is all achieved in a readable tone that is never patronising.
The Life of Pi Yann Martel
Everyone has probably already read this book. I enjoyed it, but felt its simple premise and lack of dialogue or character made it a very undeserving Booker winner.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon
This book uses an extremely original voice. Its written in the first person supposedly by an autistic 15 year old. It tells a warming tale, part mystery, part family drama. Its a short gripping read, but I feel it fails due to its inherent inauthenticity.
The Fortress of Solitude Jonathan Lethem
This is the best book I have read in at least 6 months. It a fantastic moving journey through Brooklyn and across America from the 60s to the 90s. It encompasses the birth of hip-hop, the evolution of graffiti, the crack epidemic, experimental film, and a great deal of insightful human drama.
A Few Short Notes About Tropical Butterflies John Murray
This is a rather brilliant collection of pithy cruel short stories, all set in or around the colonies. Excellent.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves Lynne Truss
This little diatribe against bad punctuation gave me rather a kick in the pants. I hadn't realised how slack with apostrophes I had become. Perhaps my grammatical resolve had been weakened by " St Thomas' ", a glaringly ugly apostrophe.
That was my reading list for my two weeks abroad. Having slunk back to London I shall probably return to an unthinking life of X-Box and alcohol, but meanwhile I feel somewhat edified. I can wholeheartedly recommend all the books on my list, though The Fortress of Solitude stands out as being really special.
What I read on my holidays, by Rufus Cartwright, aged 26 and 3/4
The Book of Eels Tom Fort
This book is an extremely engaging work of popular science, exploring the history of eels. I have long been fascinated by the fact that all eels are born in the Sargasso Sea, and this book really digs into the history of how that was discovered. It also investigates modern eel fishing and cuisine worldwide. This is all achieved in a readable tone that is never patronising.
The Life of Pi Yann Martel
Everyone has probably already read this book. I enjoyed it, but felt its simple premise and lack of dialogue or character made it a very undeserving Booker winner.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon
This book uses an extremely original voice. Its written in the first person supposedly by an autistic 15 year old. It tells a warming tale, part mystery, part family drama. Its a short gripping read, but I feel it fails due to its inherent inauthenticity.
The Fortress of Solitude Jonathan Lethem
This is the best book I have read in at least 6 months. It a fantastic moving journey through Brooklyn and across America from the 60s to the 90s. It encompasses the birth of hip-hop, the evolution of graffiti, the crack epidemic, experimental film, and a great deal of insightful human drama.
A Few Short Notes About Tropical Butterflies John Murray
This is a rather brilliant collection of pithy cruel short stories, all set in or around the colonies. Excellent.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves Lynne Truss
This little diatribe against bad punctuation gave me rather a kick in the pants. I hadn't realised how slack with apostrophes I had become. Perhaps my grammatical resolve had been weakened by " St Thomas' ", a glaringly ugly apostrophe.
That was my reading list for my two weeks abroad. Having slunk back to London I shall probably return to an unthinking life of X-Box and alcohol, but meanwhile I feel somewhat edified. I can wholeheartedly recommend all the books on my list, though The Fortress of Solitude stands out as being really special.
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