Fall of Giants by Ken Follett | The Great Story (of the Great War)

On Christmas eve last year I visited a used bookshop in Bryanston in Jo’burg. This was an extremely charming shop where I could have spent hour after hour browsing if I had the chance. Unfortunately shops were closing early because of Christmas, so I only had a chance to browse for a quarter of an hour or so. Their selection is varied, and they have well kept books and a great selection. I finally asked for a recommendation, and the man sold me World Without End by Ken Follett. Before this, I had never read anything by him (except a short story called “DP” (displaced person) in high school), but I’d heard enough about him to be feel confident that I would enjoy it. And enjoy it I did.

Follett’s most recent novel, Fall of Giants is the first part of a trilogy about the 20^th century. My Norwegian edition (thank you Maria at Cappelen Damm for giving it to me! Above is the beautiful Norwegian cover) is a proper brick and has more than 900 pages, which can seem intimidating to some readers. A friend in South Africa referred to the book as my weapon – and he wasn’t speaking metaphorically! Despite being so extensive, Follett never becomes boring or uninteresting. This is a novel packed with detail and historical information, but it is always the characters that are at the centre of the story and which makes it an absolutely great read.

Follett is truly a master storyteller. He manages to connect characters from Britain, Germany, Russia and America without the reader ever losing touch. You stay intrigued and interested in these authentic and complex characters, and I came to truly care about many of them. From the happy-go-lucky Russian Lev Pesjkov who can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble, to the Christ-seeing mine worker Billy who follows in his father’s revolutionary shoes, Follett is always manipulating how the reader views them. He also mixes real historical figures with his fictional characters, as well as mixing real places with fictional places like he did in World Without End and The Pillars of the Earth.

The novel is a great historical work. We follow the events leading up to the outbreak of the first world war and the developments in some of the countries involved, focused of course through the characters we follow. Friends from Eton, Lord Fitzherbert and Walter von Ulrich find themselves literally facing each other on the battle field. Friends become enemies, and enemies become friends. All the young men are sent into a seemingly endless war, and casualties rise as the months pass into years on the battlefields of France. At the same time, our friend in Russia, Grigorij Pesjkov, finds himself in the middle of the Russian revolution, and he joins the Bolsheviks in his quest for a better future. Women in Britain are demanding that their voices be heard through getting the right to vote, and there is a power struggle between the Houses of Parliament. And in Germany the emperor abdicates once it becomes clear that Germany has lost the war. It is truly a fall of giants.

In the middle of all the politics and warfare, people fall in love, have babies outside of wedlock, deceive each other and fight to make their own way in the world. Maud Fitzherbert (sister of Lord Fitzherbert) and Ethel Williams (a miner’s daughter) are an unlikely alliance in the fight for women’s rights and for the war to end, but they work well together. American Gus Dewar might be awkward with women, but when it comes to politics he is sharp as steel. The war really brings out the best in some people (and the worst in others). And as a proper romantic, there are some truly great love stories in here.

I could go on about Fall of Giants at length, but it is actually better to read and enjoy for oneself. This is truly a grand story of love, war, hate, fear, classes, sacrifice. Like a good story should, it has “everything”. And there are some truly awesome word duels and confrontations that are just thrilling to read. One thing is for sure. I cannot WAIT for the second installation of the century trilogy. I know writing a piece of this extent must take years, but I hope I don’t have to wait too long. I really want to know the fate of Billy, Ethel, Maud, Fitz, Walter, Gus, Grigorij and Lev (and their kids, who will probably fight in the second world war…).

Slakteren av Øystein Wiik

Jeg leser ikke mye krim, men etter å ha hørt forfatteren selv snakke om boka, ble jeg nysgjerrig. Og når man har fått et signert eksemplar føler man litt at man burde lese boka. Jeg angret ikke, for å si det sånn! Slakteren av operasanger (?) Øystein Wiik er en morsom og annerledes krim. Det meste av handlingen foregår på den franske riviera, men også i Oslo-området og i India, og favner kunsternmiljøer og store økonomiske smutthull.

To lik dukker opp av sentrale figurer innen kunst i Oslo. Når likene oppdages er de "kunstnerisk" dandert, men uten noen synlige spor etter en mulig gjerningsmann (eller kvinne!). Samtidig i den franske riviera, dukker liket av en kvinne opp i bilen til Eddie Jones, og hans venn Tom Hartmann finner seg plutselig involvert i et mørkt nett av svarte penger, en femme fatale, og et forhistorisk udyr. Her er det penger, begjær, maktkamp, og, merkelig nok, yoga, sentralt.

Det er mange morsomme situasjoner og karakterer i boken. Den småkriminelle gjengen som klarer å rote seg opp i en pågående maktkamp på rivieraen er en svært forfriskende tilstedeværelse. Den gradvise avsløringen fra fortiden er fascinerende og holder på spenningen til siste side. Ellers er det svært mange underholdende og interessante karakterer som gjør boken ekstra god.

Jeg vil også gi et lite forbehold: boken er ikke for sarte sjeler! Her er det noen virkelig ekle scener (ikke mange, men ille nok!).

Slakteren er en knallgod krim med høyt tempo. Jeg koste meg masse med boka som både var spennende og underholdende. Anbefales!

Ready Player One | The game in the game in the game

I finally had a chance to indulge my geek bone and read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I had been looking forward to reading it for some time, and when I finally had the book in my hands I literally swallowed it. It got me as hooked as proper geeks are when they play WoW (or me when I play HoMM 3)...

The novel is set in 2044, a time where most people spend large parts of their time connected to the virtual world OASIS. Escaping into this virutal reality beats the poverty and environmental crisis the world as a whole is in. OASIS' creator, James Halliday, recently died, and in his will he left all his riches to whoever manages to find the "easter egg" he has hidden somewhere inside OASIS. To find the egg, the "player" first has to find three keys that open three gates. The race has begun.

We follow Wade, or Parzival, which is his OASIS name, the teenager who finds the first key. Wade is almost like Charlie from the Roald Dahl stories, in that he is the poor kid who is introduced to the wonders of the "chocolate factory", or in this case, the OASIS universe. Wade is a proper geek who, like all the other egg hunters, have perused all the tidbits of clues and information left behind by Halliday. Halliday had an extreme nostalgia for the 80s, and so the contestants watch endless hours of shows and movies from the 80s, play all the video games, listen to the music and read all the comics. Un/fortunately I was born in the 80s, so I can't say that I remember all the references, but I still throroughly all the "geeking" about rare editions of computer games played on a RHS 80 (or something!).

But searching for the egg is not all fun and games (pun intended). One group, the sixers (or Suxorz) work for a corporation who wishes to take control of OASIS and destroy Halliday's vision of a free virtual world for everyone. The sixers will do anything to find the egg and win the competition. The other egg hunters ("gunters"), and especially our own Wade, seems to be fighting Goliath in the attempt to beat the sixers to it.

What really appealed to me about this novel was the quests and how the mysteries around the clues were solved. Often the characters have to play games within the game. Games they had played outside, but which now appeared around them again, inside OASIS. There is also a strong linke between sci-fi and fantasy brought on from the magical elements that are allowed in some parts of OASIS.

I also enjoyed some of the other characters in the book. Wade has a few OASIS friends, Art3mis and Aech, who he only knows through OASIS, and who are his closest allies in the search for the egg.

I don't want to say too much about this book. It's kind of a mash between Tron, the Matrix and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and prolly lotsa other Sci-fi references I can't think of right now). It's primarily an experience to read, it really takes you for a pleasure ride through popular culture of the 80s. It kind of feels like watching a computer game, but there's so much in it! My only problem with it, was that there could have been a bit more violence. Hello! It's meant to be a bit like a video game! (I guess the video games of the 80s weren't all that violent to begin with).

Anywho. If u have a geek bone in your body, you just have to read this book. And watch out for the movie. which should be out in 2012 or 2013. I hope they make it R-rated, because that'd be soooo kewl!

Penguin Ink

I am always impressed with Penguin's ability to think new. I love the idea of using "inked" covers to relaunch some modern classics, and possibly reaching a new readership.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt | Instant feel-good

Usually I am not a big fan of so-called feel-good novels. But I have to say, Beth Hoffman's Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, or CeeCee Honeycutts Reddende Engler as it is called in Norwegian, was exactly what I needed right now. An easily accessible novel with that made me laugh and smile while reading.

CeeCee Honeycutt is a very smart 12-year old. Unfortunately her mother has severe psychological problems, and her father have all but abandoned CeeCee in her mother's "care" (more like lack thereof). We have a classical case of the narcissistic mother who is being mothered by her child. Hence CeeCee's maturity. It sounds like the recipe for a tragedy, but as the title indicates, there is hope. CeeCee prays and prays, and suddenly her guardian angels start entering the scene. All it took was her mother's death.

CeeCee is swept away to Savannah by her mother's kind and strong aunt.- She suddenly finds herself in a mansion, surrounded by the loving care of "aunt Tootie" and her maid Oletta. The neighbourhood has some eccentric female characters that CeeCee befriends, and slowly but surely CeeCee starts to realise that she can create her own future despite the problems in her past.

There are some conflicts in the text. CeeCee goes with Oletta and two of her friends to spend a day at the beach. Suddenly they are confronted with racism and hatred so strong that there is nothing they can do about it. The encounter gives CeeCee night terrors, but Oletta manages to get her through it. In the end, the conflict is solved through no effort on the characters' part. There is also the neighbouring gossip and tramp who is the source of much ridicule among the people in the novel. Once more the conflict is "solved" without much effort. There is also the issue of CeeCee's absent father and CeeCee's conflict with herself on weather or not she should forgive him. She realises that forgiveness feels best for the one forgiving, but she is still not sure if she can simply give up her bitterness.

The novel is full of eccentric and strong women- Most of them are quite wise, which can be a little annoying at times. And CeeCee is a little too mature at times, despite knowing that she's had to grow up fast.

At the heart of the novel is friendship: friendships between women that accepts and uplifts. If you want a nice cup of instant feel-good, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is just the ticket.

Cape Town av Tomm Kristiansen

Sør-Afrika er jo mitt andre hjem, og jeg elsker Tomm Kristiansens bøker, så det var ingen tvil om at jeg måtte lese hans nye bok Cape Town. Nå er jeg Jo'burger og litt biased i forhold til hvordan fokus man har på Cape Town vs Jo'burg, men så skriver Tomm Kristiansen så flott og nyansert om Sør-Afrika og Cape Town. Noe av det beste jeg vet med å lese Kristiansen er at jeg rett og slett kan høre stemmen hans i hodet mitt når jeg leser.

Anyway. Kristiansens kjærlighet til stedet gjennomsyrer hele teksten. Her er nydelige landskapsskildringer som gjør at du kan kjenne duftene og "the buzz" av Sør-Afrika. Han skriver om mennesker han møter, om deres daglige liv, deres "struggles" i det nye (og gamle) Cape Town. Her er det politikk, kultur, religion, mat, og selvsagt vin.

Kristiansen gjør teksten personlig. Han snakker om sine egne opplevelser av Cape Town, både gjennom sitt journalistiske virke, og som privatperson. Og det er nettopp Kristiansens evne til å kombinere dette personlige og menneskelige med det politiske/historiske som gjør tekstene hans så gode. Kristiansen har en drøm om at utopien til the Rainbow Nation skal virkeliggjøres, og denne drømmen deler jeg med ham.

For min del skulle gjerne boken vært litt lengre. Jeg savnet et kapittel om Cape Town under Fotball-VM i 2010. Og det hadde vært interessant å lese hans "take" på mordet av indisk-svenske Annie Dewani.

I det store og hele er Cape Town et must for alle (Sør-)Afrika-elskere. For andre som liker en mer nyansert reiseskildring inneholder boken rike skildringer av steder å besøke. Anbefales varmt.

Homecoming by Bernhard Schlink | The Odyssey revisited

Books about books have always had a strong appeal to me. Perhaps because it makes me feel less of a geek when I'm in the presence of similar spirits, as in people who are as fascinated by stories as I am. It also allows me to think about some of the things we discussed at Uni about stories (yes, I do miss literature studies!!).

In Homecoming, the narrator as a child comes across parts of a manuscript in his grandparents' house. The end of the story, the conclusion to the Odyssean story of homecoming, is missing. As an adult, Peter Debauer is still curious about the ending of the story, and starts trying to discover the secrets of the text.

The homecoming motif is emphasised throughout the novel. In Peter's own life, there are homecomings upon homecomings. The issue of what happens when the man returns to his woman after a long separation is a central conflict in the text, and all the "endings" to that exact story are different. Peter becomes obsessed with the Odyssean story of homecoming and the story without an ending. He analyses his own behaviour according to the Odyssey in an attempt to make sense of his life and situation, but all it does is allow him to stay in a place of inaction, of postponing the inevitable homecoming.

Eventually it becomes clear that the manuscript is directly linked to Peter himself. The writer turns out to be his elusive father, a man Peter never knew. Peter finds other texts by his father, more political texts with a rethoric Peter finds provoking, where evil acts justify a good end. Peter becomes increasingly aggressive as he learns more of this man, and before he can truly be "home" and marry his girlfriend Barbara, he has to try to get to know this man.

Post-war Germany is a backdrop to the events of the narrative. The border issues, issues of collective guilt and identity are connected to this and gives the novel further depth.

As a narrator, Peter both analyses himself ruthlessly at times, and brushes acts off as mere details at other times. On his final "quest", he admits to not knowing what exactly it is he wants, but at the same time he is unable to tear himself away from the approaching train crash and just go home. Considering the events that finally lead to his inevitable homecoming, it is almost as if Peter is waiting to have his worst hopes (or fears?) confirmed.

I found this novel very interesting. The mystery surrounding the manuscript and the slow path to finding out more intrigued me. The many layers of homecomings also gave the story more depth. If I were to read Homecoming against The Odyssey this could probably be a very long essay, but my reading of The Odyssey was negligent at best. I prefer this modernised version (no offense to all the literature scholars who think this is blasphemy).