Thursday 27 April 2017

What I've been reading

Image of the book cover

Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen

narrated by B. J. Harrison
"When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever."
A delight. Obviously. Even with an American narrator.


Image of the book cover

A God in Ruins
by Kate Atkinson
"This book relates the life of Teddy Todd – would-be poet, heroic World War II bomber pilot, husband, father, and grandfather – as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge will be to face living in a future he never expected to have."
An interesting book, and a modern one to punctuate the ceaseless stream of 'classics'. It jumps about in time so is a little difficult to follow, and there's a twist at the end that I'm not sure I'm supposed to take seriously - if I did, it would alter the whole narrative. I have a shelf for books that I intend to keep and another for giving away, and after some consideration this one will get given away. It's not terrible, I just don't think I'd read it again.


Image of the book cover

Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad

narrated by David Rintoul
"The story of Marlow's search for Mr Kurtz, the company agent whose "unlawful soul" has been "beguiled beyond the bounds of permitted aspirations" in his dealings with the natives of the Belgian Congo."
Not a great choice for the audiobook format, since the narrative is more atmosphere than plot. It's been a long time since I saw the film but I remember not liking that very much either, so I was hoping the book would live up to its 'classic' status. Most of it wafted past me in the car while I was thinking about something else, and I couldn't be bothered to play it again to hear what I'd missed.

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