Holiday reading

One of the best thing about being on holiday is being able to read. Because I have been soooo ill, I haven't really been able to do much of anything, except lay on the sofa, watch telly, and complain about things. :-(
But while we were in Cyprus, I had no kids to worry about, and loads of time to just BE! I managed to do some crochet, and read two whole books, in addition to all of our outings and celebrations.

First I finished Coastliners, by Joanne Harris. I had started it before we left and it was to be my aeroplane reading, but I didn't read that much on the plane, because planes are horrible, cramped and too uncomfortable to do anything. It is typical Joanne Harris, lots of French influence, but very well developed characters and geography and stories. I do sometimes get to the point where I start to think all of her books are the same, because of the French settings, but then again, I don't think that when I read books set in England or America. So I must try to get over my chauvinistic tendencies (also when I read Amy Tan) and just enjoy a very engaging story.

It seems to be about a young woman's need to figure out where she belongs. Is it in Paris, where her mother took her to live years ago, or is it on the island of her young childhood, where her father lives, but where the people are not the most lovable of characters? She doesn't feel that she fits when she arrives back, and her father's reaction to her returning is quite horrible actually. I think I would have been out of there on the next ferry. But in the end, she finds that this is where she wants to be. This is why she was drawn to return.

There are many things that she gets wrong, that everybody on the island seems to get wrong. They are an odd community, but I think the gist is that they ARE a community, and she ends up being a part of it. There are superstitions, and traditions, and danger, and family feuds, and hypocrisy, and financial problems, etc., but they just are. Harris does not make judgements about these aspects, simply presents them for us, and lets them interact with the story. There are people you want to hate, but when you see the island communities, you can sort of understand why people are the way they are. But then again, does it matter if we understand? This is the way things are, and that is that.


The other book I read was A SPOT OF BOTHER, by Mark Haddon, the guy who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night. Very strange book. Most of it was like watching a car crash. Unpleasant, but compelling. It is the story of George, a recently retired, quiet man who is slowly going insane. Or so he thinks. Certainly his behaviour is erratic, but it isn't the story of insanity, or decline, it is merely a 'spot of bother' - an unpleasant episode in his life. George is suffering from depression, and looking back on his life a bit and doesn't know where he is.

The other members of his family, his wife and grown up daughter and son are going through their parallel problems which makes them all a bit useless towards each other, I guess like a lot of families. But I am not sure what to think about this book. It is odd. A bit gross in bits. You don't want to identify with the characters, and yet they each make one or two statements that had me nodding in agreement. So am I like these unlikeable people? You just want to smack them sometimes. And in spite of you recognizing the pain and confusion they experience, you just want to turn and walk away because they seem a bit hopeless. But of course, I had to finish, and I am glad I did, but the slightly hopeful ending seemed a bit of a sell out. All's well that ends well, etc.

I suppose the book is a bit like the Curious Incident in that it has people talking. There is no obvious message in either of these books. And there could be, either about Autism, or about Depression and family dysfunctions. I guess like the Joanne Harris book, a scenario is just presented to you, and you have to figure out what you think about it. I do hate books that moralize, or are obvious in their 'message'...unless of course, I happen to agree with the message. :-) But I am also a bit tired and still feeling sick, and maybe I don't want to think that hard.

I will have to reread these later because I did enjoy the act of reading. I did appreciate how well constructed they both are as stories. I really like many things that I have read by Joanne Harris, although I am not sure about Mark Haddon. Have only read two of his books, and I would not say he is one of my favourite authors, but I don't know why. I may get around to thinking about that in a few years time. I am going to be busy with other things until then.