Category: Books

Book Review: Britpop, Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock

“Something has shifted, theres a new feeling on the streets. Theres a desire for change. Britain is exporting pop music again. Now all we need is a new government.”

Alistair Campbell
Tony Blair’s Press Secretary, Autumn 1996

If there was ever a quote that epitomised the time John Harris writes about, it’s this one. Britpop for those of you who don’t know is the name given to the period in the 1990s in which British music, politics and culture went through a perceived revolution, resuming its apparent dominance and international prestige. Mostly used in a musical context, the striking thing about the word ‘Britpop’ is that it can be applied to anything from Oasis to the Spice Girls – so certainly not a genre then (although John Harris focuses specifically on Britpop as rock music). Unlike other socio-cultural movements like punk, Britpop as a concept was much more successful. The fact it helped carry a new Labour government to election victory is a testament to that. And it’s traits like that that make Britpop such brilliant subject matter for a book.

First of all I’d like to say I’m hardly a bookworm. Having not read a book in over five years and with the only books I’d ever read page-to-page being the Harry Potter series, it’s not hard to imagine how close I fit the average reading activity of someone my age. It was first and foremost my interest not only in non-fiction but music in general that inspired my purchase, anybody feeling interested in either of the latter should follow suit. Fundamentally, it’s Harris’s ability to create a story of immense detail and insight that borders on the academic while simultaneously forging a read that really feels like a book about rock stars and the mindless fun that comes with it that makes it so successful. From studio to stadium, it’s rock n’ roll storytelling of some of the greatest bands of the era (Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Suede, Elastica) and the conflict, relationships and scene that enveloped around them is one of the most interesting times in our music history, and whilst previously writing for publications as NME, Q, Select, Melody Maker as well as a healthy selection of the mainstream press, this veteran writer does the period complete justice.

Okay, so until now I’ve never actually read a “proper” book. So perhaps you’d see this as nothing more than a proud statement of my literary accomplishment. But perhaps the fact I finished this one, and that it has spurred me on to read more says more about the book than it does me.

A truly thrilling read.

Book Review: The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

In a world where magic is real but sold as an illusion, two children are unwittingly bound together in a lifelong challenge. Prospero the Enchanter and the grey-clad Mr A.H have been setting unsuspecting students against each other for years, possibly even centuries, in a quest to prove whether natural talent or academic study produces the best magic. But this time the challenge affects too many people and the rules must be changed. Aesthetically the book encapsulates all the magic that the pages within promise. Sitting down with the red hardback with black-edged paper, you instantly know that you are in for a treat.

The critics have questioned the strength of the plot and the depth of the characters, but as Morgenstern says, “People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told that they see.” So, if you can go into this book with a desire to believe and a powerful imagination then you will not be disappointed. The reader must accept the magical world of the Cirque de Reves, not question it, as the logic behind it all is never explained. This is a novel for believers, not for critics.

The Night Circus is full of all the magical little treats that real life circuses seem to disappoint on. Caramel popcorn, chocolate mice and performing kittens are just the surface of it. The overpowering love between competitors Marco and Celia is somehow more believable than the ever so popular Twilight romance, despite the supernatural surroundings, and is the centre of the plot. There is a rich tapestry of interweaving characters that reflects the interweaving tents and acts within the Cirque de Reves perfectly. If only it was possible to actually visit this midnight circus with all its mysterious delights.

The magic between the pages is not something that could easily be translated to film, but I’d certainly be first in line if it ever was adapted.

‘Like Water For Chocolate’ – Food for the Soul

Set in the Mexican Revolution, Laura Esquivel’s first novel taps into a world of family tradition and sexual liberation. The story has a backbone of recipes that hold the narrative together, taking you on a journey through the trials and tribulations of Tita de la Garza and her family.

Starting from January and working through to December, each recipe ties in with an event in the family and as you read it you can almost imagine yourself sitting alongside the narrator as she cooks, telling tales of her great aunt Tita. In each chapter we learn something new about cooking and the risks of preparing the ingredients in the wrong way. When the love of her life is set to marry her sister, Tita is left to make the wedding cake. Feeling her heart breaking, she cries so much that the cake mix becomes soggy and when all the guests eat the cake they are so overcome with longing that everyone is left dazed by a fit of vomiting. Although at times the magical realism that Esquivel uses can take you by surprise, it works to remind you of the mythical nature of the story. She conjures up such powerful images that the emotion behind the story is really intensified.

When it comes down to it Like Water for Chocolate is a love story, but the main love of Tita’s life is for cooking. Brought up in a kitchen by the family cook, Tita learns all the family secrets and home remedies, a tradition that the rest of her family has no time for. By the end of the novel you can’t help but wish that you had a book of recipes handed down through generations. It is by far the most interesting and thought provoking recipe book that you will ever read.

Reading: The Old Fashioned Way

The publishing world is experiencing the biggest change in history since Gutenberg invented the printing press; that is, the move into the digital world. Ereaders, and the Kindle in particular, have become big business of late and have been hailed as the future of reading. Call me old-fashioned, but I just cannot understand the appeal of the Kindle. As an avid reader and, indeed, belonging to the younger generation, it is assumed that I should be the target market for the latest technological craze. The ease and convenience of having thousands of books at your fingertips is often cited as the main reason why one would want to own a Kindle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for convenience- living in a modern world are we not all guilty of this? – Yet I have never contemplated leaving my battered paperback on the shelf.
To me, the smell of an old, dusty book is one of life’s simplest pleasures; it transports me to my childhood when I first fell in love with reading and reminds me of those happy hours I spent engrossed in the latest novel. You don’t get that with a Kindle. On a par with the glorious smell is the memories books stir when picked up off the shelf. I often find myself reaching for the books I studied at University- not necessarily to read them, but to thumb through the familiar pages and read the annotations scribbled around the side, to remember how important that book was at a particular point in my life.
Whiling away many an hour in a quaint second-hand bookshop is the perfect Saturday treat. It is my idea of heaven; books of all shapes, sizes, genres piled high, each one possessing a history. I find myself turning to the inside covers, searching for messages from loved ones- personal notes that hint at the identity of the book’s previous owner. Perhaps this is the very reason why I will never abandon the printed book; I need it to feel unique, personal, mine.
Call me old-fashioned, but the Kindle will always be too clinical; it’s cold, hard exterior will never replace the feel of a traditional book. It may be convenient for those who commute long distances daily; it may work out cheaper to purchase E-books than the printed version; it may even encourage tech heads who would not have read a printed book to give reading a chance. However, I’m not afraid to buck the trend; give me an old, dusty book any day.