"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

I hadn’t read any Hemingway before so I didn’t know what to expect. This is essentially a book about a man who catches a fish. However, the richness of the character and the descriptions are absolutely captivating. The battle of wills between an old fisherman past his prime, and a large and noble fish is deeply engaging. The experience and emotions felt real and authentic. This is not the kind of book I wouldn’t normally gravitate to, but I read it as part of s desire to read more classic literature, and I’m glad that I did.

My rating: ★★★★☆

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame

This is a difficult book to review. I didn’t find the story at all engaging, and had difficulty finishing the book - I just didn’t want to pick it up again. I found the character of Toad infuriating, and his continued vacillation between bad behaviour and being contrite didn’t appear to convey any kind of meaningful message. The characters of Mole, Rat and Badger were amiable but shallow. I’m not sure why it is a classic.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

"The Thick and The Lean" by Chana Porter

The Thick and the Lean is, in part, a veneration of food and cooking. Set in a world where eating is taboo, the core characters engage in a surreptitious love of the pleasures and sensations of eating well cooked food. It is also a study in deceit and power.

The plot tracks the progress of the two main characters as they navigate their love of food through a society where there is an extreme disparity between the richest and the poorest, and where there is a burgeoning climate crisis. The parallels with current events is clear, but not at all heavy-handed. For me, the story ended up with too many loose ends, but this is a personal preference and does not detract from the power of the story.

The two main characters have depth and complexity, and felt very real. I found myself drawn to them, and wanting good outcomes - albeit in very different ways for each. The supporting cast was also diverse, although with few being especially memorable.

There are themes that some people may find difficult: disordered eating and relationship with food; a free and relaxed attitude to sex, both in public and outside marriage; and the deceitful conduct of one of the main characters. To me, however, these were all justified, and contribute to the colour and depth of the dystopian world in which the author so successfully explores ideas of exclusion, class disparity, and social power.

Thank you #NetGalley and Titan Books for the free review copy of #TheThickandtheLean in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★★☆

NetGalley Review

"Red Dust, White Snow" by Pan Huiting

I was drawn to this book for the intriguing concept, with the promise of an overlap of reality and fantasy. For me, though, it didn’t deliver on the promise. Ultimately, the encroachment of fantasy on reality turned out to be quite pedestrian, albeit in a light fantasy/sci-fi context. The reveal that happens about three quarters of the way through the book is underwhelming and, while it had philosophical consequences, I didn’t find them engaging.

The style of the writing in many places got in the way of the story-telling: use of language was unnecessarily elaborate in places, and the brief explanations of the meanings (and mythical background) of some of the supporting characters and spirits was unnecessary and jarring. Overall I was left with the impression that the author was showing off with use of language and myth, which I found a little alienating rather than impressive.

The plot was split across two worlds - the reality and the fantasy - although very little actually happened in either world. There seemed little purpose to much of the plot, with rarely any conflict or jeopardy. The main protagonist had some interesting characteristics - notably the deliberate distancing from friends and colleagues. These characteristics supported her willingness to engage wholeheartedly in the fantasy world, but ultimately they were under-explored and unresolved, and I found her difficult to relate to.

An interesting concept, but the book was not for me.

Thank you #NetGalley and Fairlight Books for the free review copy of #RedDustWhiteSnow in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

NetGalley Review