I do not like books without action and excitement. When
I read a book, I expect to experience something that leads me into
another world or unknown dimension, to experience something that is not going to
happen in my own life. That's the way it is. Some will say that I am negative and I do not give new writers a fair chance, but that is not true. But I feel the same way about books that a gourmet must feel about food. If the story I am presented to don't live up to my expectations, I am disappointed and annoyed and I get the terrible feeling that I have wasted precious time. Conversely, I am also easy to excite ...
And right now I'm thrilled. Charles Cumming's 'The Trinity Six' is brilliant. Briefly, the book is about the author Sam Gaddis who accidentally
trips over some old documents, referring to an old spy ring from
Cambridge. But although the information is old, they are certainly not outdated. And without being aware of it, Sam Gaddis have both hands deep into a nest of angry wasps. And
as he digs deeper into his research of the ancient spy ring, and without being aware of it, he endangers his own and others' lives... and soon people around him starts to die ...
Charles Cumming knows what he writes about. He has worked for the SIS (Special Intelligence Service) for a few years before he began as an author. And maybe it was just the authenticity of the book, that was about to knock me out. This
book really brought my patience to the absolute limit, and if it was not
because I had a principle about never quit a book before it is read, I
would probably have given up halfway.
But patience is rewarded. One should certainly halfway through the book before the action starts and the story gets interesting. The first part describes mostly conversations between Sam Geddis and various stakeholders and these dialogues are deadly boring. There are high demands on the reader. Not
only do you have to keep track of a quite bulky cast of characters, but you
have to check for aliases, of which the same person may have several. In my view, this part is really boring. But suddenly the situation changes and things start to take off and it is here the patient reader will be rewarded.
'The Trinity Six' is nothing less than a stroke of genius. The plot is coherent and - in time - really exciting. And the ending... the ending concludes the story without tension seep out. Too often I find endings to be an anticlimax. The bag is empty. There is nothing left. That is really unsatisfying. But that is not going to happen in 'The Trinity Six'. The voltage remains to the last page. To the last sentence. To the last word.
I've just finished 'Straight Man' by Richard Russo - and I felt really entertained!
I have previously reviewed 'Empire Fall's' so when I began to read 'Straight Man', I knew what to expect. Again, Richard Russo let us follow the main character first hand. The book is written in first person and gives us an entertaining insight into the main character, William Henry Devereaux Jr.'s thoughts and speculations. And believe me - he's certainly in trouble ...
William Henry Devereaux Jr. is the son of parents who both have had high academical positions and it has obviously taken its toll. He has a good sense of the morbid and ironic, and his humor forces him time and again into relatively innocent situations that quickly develops in an unpredictable and uncontrollable way.
We follow the power struggle in English Department, where William Henry Devereaux Jr., among other things teaches English literature. The action takes place over a relatively short period of approximately fourteen days, which is more than enough to bring our protagonist in the most unlikely and more or less involuntary situations.
'Straight Man' is not a decidedly humorous book. There are plenty of seriousness and reflection in it - and that is what makes the book so interesting and entertaining.
Is it a thriller? No! Is that a crime? No! Is it a love story? Not really. 'Straight Man' is a fabulous story about life at an university and the people who work there. Does that sound boring? Maybe, but believe me: Richard Russo is the magician who is able to transform the gray and boring into something colorful and exuberant. And with 'Straight Man' Richard Russo is very close to perfection.
N.B. If you like to write yourself, 'Straight Man' makes you want to continue and succeed. This story renewed my desire to write, and I am sure the same thing will happen to you.
Thousands of books are published every year. In the U.S. more fiction are published every year, than a man can manage to read in a lifetime. Maybe that's why I get so annoyed when I read a bad book, because I know that there will be one less good book to read in my lifetime.
Most of the books published today should never have seen the light of the day. I am well aware that the individual authors sees it different. They have invested time and energy in their work. But for many writers it is a waste of time. No matter how many books these people are going to write, their level won't be of high enough standard.
This leads us to the inevitable question: What is a good book? I
will not be the one who sets up sharp guidelines for how a good book
should be defined. The taste is known to vary from person to person. One requirement must be satisfied, though: The story must be compelling and interesting from start to finish. The author should give the reader time to get into the story and you have got to have the feeling that you are part of the events. Many writers choose to ignore or override this fact in a poor attempt to convert the movie to paper. I think, many modern authors are trying to implement the movie's rapid change of scenes, dialogs and clip to the world of books. It just don't work! In movies, you have the visual part to help the producer describe the situation and the people in it. This luxury are not available when you write a book. Here, it is solely your phraseology and terminology that will help you to create the imagination in the reader's mind.
If
you want to watch a talented author's technique, it may be useful to turn
to the classic writers, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - the father of Sherlock Holmes. Once again are his novels of the famous, self-taught and choleric master detective, republished. The first novel are 'A Study in Scarlet'.
For the first time, we are presented to Dr. Watson who has just returned
from the war in Afghanistan, trying to lick his wounds and get hold of his nerves. By chance he will be presented to Sherlock Holmes, looking for a flatmate to the apartment at 221B Baker Street, London. Sherlock Holmes makes a living by being 'Advisory detective' as he likes to call himself. He lives in the shadow of the more or less competent detectives he has assisted until now. He is slightly annoyed, but with a mild resignation he seems to come to terms with this fact.To Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes' habits, abilities and work is due to constantly wondering. Sherlock Holmes are one day asked to give advise in a case of a body in an abandoned
building, Dr. Watson's gets his first opportunity to observe his newfound friend's
abilities at close range when he gets involved in the action - all the
way to the solving of the case.
So, what makes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing style so special? If
only I must mention a few things which I appreciate very much, it must be
the fact that he teh most fantastic ability to shorten the actions that otherwise
could have been lengthy and tedious. This he does without making the reader feel that he is being torn out of the book's rhythm. In other times, his descriptions of people and events are very detailed. These changes of speed helps to give life and dynamism to the action of the novel.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a classic example of a great writer. If the reader wants to have a basis for comparison when assessing new authors qualities, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, will be an excellent measure.Many newer writers might think that it is unfair to be compared with such an excellent writer. To
this I can only reply: Readers deserve the best, and with such a large
selection of available books, there are definitely no room for the mediocre
performance. Sorry, but it's true...
