Book Club - Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Though short, this novel is crammed with weighty ideas and hidden levels of meaning - when reading it, one can chose whether to accept it on face value, or whether to explore and probe its hidden depths.

Ideas of race, morality, education and identity spill out of the pages, and yet never feel forced upon the reader. The charming, innocent voice of the narrator, a 13-year-old black girl, Matilda, ensures a child like, light hearted tone is maintained.

Set in the 1990s on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, the story follows the community of a village as they struggle to live during a bloody civil war. Matilda's father has left to work in Australia, leaving Matilda and her Mother alone.

One day, Mr Watts, the only white man in the village and previously known to the children as Pop Eye, appoints himself as teacher and sits the children down in the old classroom to read them Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Within chapters the children are hooked.

The power of reading and language are vital in this novel. Jones uses literature as a form of escapism - the children chose to live in Pip's world and avoid their own dangerous reality, and even Mr Watts shelters himself through storytelling.

The inclusion of old, cultural tales shared by the children's mothers in class, was an addition that I could appreciate and understand. Yet, I found them frustrating. These passages slowed the pace of the novel and the same effect could have easily been created through a simple description. That these passages were given the same page space as significant and shocking events was deeply unsatisfying.

Critics may argue the novel rarely steps beyond stereotypes - the drunk solider, the god-fearing black woman and the wise but odd white man. But there can be no denying that the novel is emotive and intelligent. The horrifying events the reader witnesses are never sensationalised, but relayed tenderly.

The final chapters are unnecessary, except to tie up loose ends (unfortunately, this is a messy and unsuccessful attempt). However, Jones does attempt to use these pages to communicate further serious concepts, and the overall effect does not detract from the rich novel as a whole.

Book Club - Wideacre, The Favoured Child and Meridon by Philippa Gregory

It is rare that I read a trilogy or series of books, especially one directly after another. When I first read Wideacre, I was unaware it was one of three titles based on the Lacey family and their grand estate in Sussex; the novel was strong and complete in its own right. But a trilogy is was, and boy am I pleased about that.

Wideacre tells of a rich squire's daughter, Beatrice. She is passionate, intelligent and devious, and will do anything to own the Wideacre estate, which by eighteenth century law must go to her brother. This book is full of delicious scandal!

Despite, Beatrice's corruption and deceit, I somehow continued to sympathise with her - quite an achievement on Gregory's part. I loved the moments where Beatrice was shown to be tender, but her fierce and ambitious side made a thrilling read.

The Favoured Child, follows Julia Lacey and her cousin Richard as they grow up on Wideacre. My favourite of the three novels, it was fast paced, unpredictable and gripping. One of its many strengths was the sense of familiarity Gregory created by using some characters from the first novel. Another factor was the vivid writing. Narrated by Julia, the prose was warm and heart-felt. It created rich pictures of Julia as she grows from a child to a young woman. I could not help but hate Richard with a passion; there is no doubt he was spoilt, cruel and selfish, a true villain. I willed Julia on, hoping she would develop the Lacey trait of courage.

Meridon begins away from Wideacre. This concerned me at first, I was unsure Gregory would be able to continue my interest in the Laceys away from their estate. But Meridon's childhood as a gypsy with a circus added new life and excitement to the series, making it impossible for me to resist being absorbed. As beautifully descriptive, and equally frustrating as the previous two novels (at times I wanted to shout at the characters), Meridon keeps the reader in suspense until the final pages with a satisfying, but not predictable ending.

The novels are more than just light-hearted fiction, each considers serious topical issues of the time. The inequalities between men and women, the injustice of the justice system, the rules that kept the poor down and the rich wealthy and the difficulties girls face as they grow into young women.

One of my previous dislikes of Gregory's writing was her tendency to begin her novels with a slow, descriptive passage. These three novels were an exception - the opening pages were cleverly placed, symbolic to the rest of the story or straight into the action. Characterisation was strong, with no unnecessary characters or dialogue. The three Lacey women as narrators were particularly intriguing, maintaining a balance between being familiar and individual. My only fault was that Gregory occasionally repeats herself in order to emphasise the important points she wants the reader to pick up on. A little more faith in her readers' common sense would not go amiss. But this is a small complaint in light of an otherwise fantastic read. I cannot praise Gregory enough.

Book Club - Gardens of Water by Alan Drew

This should have been the new Kite Runner!

I came across this book a few weeks ago; having now read it and discovered it was published in paperback over a year ago, I have to ask myself how it managed to pass me by for so long?

Ok, so the cover isn't exactly appealing, and there was a real lack of publicity; but these just seem like poor excuses. To be frank - I couldn't put this book down. And I can't believe I haven't heard about it from someone, somewhere...

The story begins in Turkey in 1999 when devastating earthquake brings the busy life of Istanbul to a halt. Its impact not only strips Sinan and his family of their home and livelihood, but also takes away from Sinan his confidence as a father, husband and religious man. As he struggles to cope with memories from his past, keeping his family safe and his daughter's ever-growing infatuation with an American boy; Sinan begins to make desperate decisions, setting himself and his family on a path of unimaginable consequences.

And it's difficult to find anything in this novel to criticise. The prose was engaging and evocative, and managed emotional depth without being overly dramatic or sentimental. There were occasions of truly beautiful, vivid descriptions and the carefully and quietly controlled suspense kept me hanging on till the very end.

The characterisation was intelligent and well balanced. Despite each character being used to represent a somewhat stereotypical viewpoint, none appeared one-dimensional or forced. There was naturalness about each character, as they all battled their own internal struggles alongside their new difficult surroundings. The complexity of humanity is effectively captured.

The only thing I could bring myself to fault is the ending, and even this I fault half-heartedly. The ending appeared rushed - as all loose ends are suddenly tied up in a few pages; yet with hindsight, the ending was entirely suitable. It wasn't what I expected or hoped for, but it was plausible and fitting to the rest of the story. I fear any other ending would have detracted from the seriousness and emotional impact of the plot preceding that point.

I loved the rich variety of topics in the novel, all of which were dealt with in depth: politics, war, history, family, love, wealth, race, religion, natural disasters, despair and hope. Still, I think what I admired most about this novel was the easy-to-read narrative style. I admit that at the end of each chapter I expected to find it difficult to get my teeth into the next. I decided it would be impossible to maintain the high level of intrigue and natural flow through a chapter break, and change in narrative viewpoint. I was wrong. This book was a real breath of fresh-air, and definitely a page-turner.