At the Mountains of Madness – H.P.Lovecraft

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Book #623

Reviewer: Arukiyomi (first published May 2012)

Having now read this, I can see the inspiration for at least two horror films. The first is The Thing which, in terms of its Antarctic setting, terror of the inexplicable and decimation of an expedition, is a simple copy of the book. The second is Alien with its terrifying depiction of another world which, to the detriment of those who discover it, is not quite as dead as it first appears. For such a short book, it wields some weight.

The narrator is attempting to warn a forthcoming Antarctic expedition of the annihilation that almost certainly awaits them should they venture where he himself has gone before. He has not spoken in detail of his horrifying experiences before out of fear, doubt and sheer unspeakability. But now, with his fellow explorers preparing for a trek to their doom, he feels he has to speak out and tell what befell all but a few of those who explored the Mountains of Madness.

Had this been written 50 years earlier than its 1931 publication, it would have been less convincing. But by the time Lovecraft wrote it, not only had the South Pole been reached, horror literature had shed a little more of its Gothic trappings. Of course, H.G. Wells should be credited with inspiring almost an entire body of literature with his superb canon, but Lovecraft writes with a lucid reality that evokes the very real terror you can feel in later horror writers with Stephen King’s The Shining a prime example.

Discovering inadvertently frozen alien beings and a mountain range surpassing anything hitherto known on earth, a forward party of the narrator’s expedition retires for the night. They are never heard from again. The narrator journeys to discover the truth: all have perished in mysterious circumstances. Exploring the mountains themselves, the narrator manages to cross the range via a pass in his aircraft. This brings him to what appears to be a deserted city the like of which he can barely describe. Exploring this brings him and his companion face to face with their worst nightmares…
I was prepared for something much more drearily verbose and mundane and was pleased to find that this was just about the right length and that Lovecraft had done an excellent job at telling just enough of the detail to keep me turning page after page. Very influential and highly readable. What’s more, it provided me with one of the most esoteric quotes I think I’ve ever collected:

“The penguins alone could not have saved us…”

Joseph Andrews – Henry Fielding

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Book #981

Reviewer: Kara

Written in the 1740s, Joseph Andrews is Henry Fielding’s response to Samuel Richardson’s gigantic tome Pamela, which Fielding found ridiculous. Joseph is a virtuous footman who is saving himself for the pure and perfect Fanny Goodwill. Abraham Adams, the local parson, likes Joseph because of his virtue and because he reads good books. The story follows Joseph and Parson Adams on their wacky adventures – first trying to return home, then trying to get Joseph and Fanny married.

The novel is replete with situational comedy. Parson Adams is attacked by dogs, falls into the mud in a pig sty, has his parson’s garb completely destroyed, and is doused in pig’s blood. While he endures these indignities, Joseph is trying to protect Fanny from being raped and working to maintain his own virtue, despite offers from the likes of the wonderfully-named Lady Booby and Madame Slipslop. The end of the novel features a comedic and absurd situation of confused identities but in the end, as in Pamela, virtue is rewarded.

Anyone who has read Don Quixote will notice a lot of similarities. Fielding was profoundly influenced by Cervantes and openly attests to this in his own preface to the novel. Fielding wrote that his novel was written in the style of the “comic epic poem in prose” as exemplified by Don Quixote. Fielding extended the writing style by introducing the omniscient narrator. Joseph Andrews represents the first appearance of a narrator in a novel who is not actually a character, but purely a voice, there to know what the characters do not and, in this case, for satirical effect.

I find the history of Joseph Andrews that I’ve just described fascinating, but that is not why the book is on my top ten list of the greatest books I’ve ever read (and I mean ever!). It’s because I LOVE this story. It’s ridiculous, fun, zany, and absolutely hysterical.

It’s also very well-thought-out. Parson Adams is a wonderful character and a very unique and full creation. Fielding does an excellent job of making the reader love him while also repeatedly laughing at him. I will admit that the plot is, very occasionally, a little too convenient, but Fielding’s message – that hypocrisy and vanity are ridiculous – comes across perfectly through the satire.

If one thing is missing from Joseph Andrews it’s a solid female character. While the male characters remain three-dimensional throughout the absurdity and satire, the females do suffer. Madame Slipslop is merely hideous and the butt of many jokes, Lady Booby is vain and selfish, and Fanny is too good to be true and extremely weak. However, I’ve chosen to forgive Fielding for his 1700s attitude towards women because I truly enjoy his sense of humor and his early shaping of the novel genre.

Chocky – John Wyndham

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Book #396

Reviewer: Ms Oh Waily

Chocky is my third and final Wyndham from the 1001 Books to Read lists.  The other two having been The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time reading John Wyndham’s very sedate science fiction.

The eponymous Chocky is an alien, that much is crystal clear to a modern reader.  He/She is visiting with young Matthew Gore, age 11.  Sadly Matthew is far too old to have an imaginary friend and so his mother and father are rather in a quandary about how to handle the existence of Chocky.  Matthew, for his part, doesn’t seem that bothered.  Other than an initial difficulty in explaining about turning up at an appropriate time, and the somewhat condescending attitude she has about inferior technology, he seems happy to have her companionship.  Chocky introduces new ways of thinking and seeing to her young friend.  Unfortunately, the parental concern and Chocky’s own desire to help Matthew eventually turns into an alien-revealing problem.  The end result of which is rather fatal.

As with the other two books that make the 1001 Books list, this is a nice and thoughtful read.  It is as Brian Aldiss put it, a “cosy catastrophe”.  And frankly that makes them all perfect lightweight science fiction reads.  Both Triffids and Cuckoos have more going on than Chocky, in the moral dilemma area anyway.

Despite enjoying this book, I am slightly perplexed as to how it manages to get on the 1001 list.  I can see clearly how the other two manage it, but perhaps some of the ideas of how Chocky is communicating with Matthew were new and unusual at the time of writing or maybe it is the idea of other intelligent life forms driving and assisting our growth that was unique.  I’d be interested to know.

Nevertheless, it was a gentle and entertaining read, and very much a mirror on times past. I can recommend it for a light summer read or if you have enjoyed any of Wyndham’s other books.  As for me, I have The Kraken Wakes awaiting me now on my bedside pile.  Another Wyndham for a break in the heavier reading that is Frankenstein.

Gabriel’s Gift – Hanif Kureishi

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Book # 38

Reviewer: Inspirationalreads

Rex and Christine lived their hey-days in 1970’s London, heavily involved in the rock and roll scene.  Rex, a guitarist, played in a successful band and Christine was a costume designer, creating outfits for popular bands and rock stars.  For various reasons, Rex stopped playing guitar but his band continued on to great success and fame, particularly the lead singer, Lester Jones.  When they begin their family, Christine too becomes less involved.  Twin boys Archie and Gabriel are born to them, but tragically Archie dies at 2 years old, leaving his brother Gabriel growing up with parents who remain caught up in their past, the free-love, authority-loathing tenets of their glory days.  Our story with them begins with Gabriel at 15 years old; sensitive, creative and who still “talks” with Archie.  Christine has finally tired of Rex who remains jobless and unmotivated, forcing him from the family home.  In a bid to move on in her life she gets a job and appears to be moving towards responsibility and adulthood, something Rex still seems loathe to do.

Rex and Christine seem so familiar to me and yet I can’t say I know anyone truly like them.  At least not parents that I know.  But in my wider circle of friends and acquaintances there are those who have held on to the ideals and dreams of their youth, so that their approaching middle age and all the responsibilities that come with it seem to be something to avoid, mock and at some level, abhor.  With Rex, his dream was quashed not through a lack of talent but through circumstances not entirely of his own making, makes him cling to a dream of not what-could-have-been but what-should-have-been.  Christine’s attempt at moving towards responsibility appears to be more about getting rid of Rex and a certain freedom that she attains through this.  The voice of maturity and clarity comes from Gabriel.  He felt a lot younger than the 15 years he was supposed to be but still more mature than his parents.

On paper, the story seems to be quite run of the mill; estranged parents helped towards personal growth by their special child.  However, there is a freshness and unexpectedness that Kureishi has brought to this tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.  The character of Gabriel is a study in contrasts; childlike and innocent but aware enough to steer his parents and to be able to handle some other, more odious characters.  It is truly a modern story in feel; situations arise that are unpredictable, not quite organic in feel but not working to a formula either.  Not an unpredictability due to twists but an unpredictability that arises from impetuous and impulsive humans doing impetuous and impulsive things.  It is this that I found refreshing and combined with its short length made it a quick, easily enjoyed read.

It would be hard to categorise this novel.  It is a family drama but it is also funny in parts.  A comment on parenthood not necessarily equating with maturity, particularly if the focus is too much on the past, not on the present or the future.  There is even the smallest touch of magical realism which is the only part I felt really didn’t fit, which in a novel where there are lots of different experiences and aspects to make up the full human experience, just left me feeling a little confused.

Enjoyable therefore for the unique reading experience for me resulting in a clear 3/5 star rating.