gerbie

 

Fjodor Dostoyevsky – Notes from the underground (08-060)

The second book I read via Dailylit.com. Not until near the end did I find out I actually owned the book myself. Easy mistake to make. Up until now I have read several Dostoyevsky books, including his masterpiece Crime and Punishment, though all in Dutch.

Unfortunately I can’t speak nor read any Russian, which I feel is a huge disadvantage when reading classics from Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, with Chekov and other waiting to be read on my shelf. Luckily some of the translations I read were done by a good Dutch author, so why bother reading a translation in a foreign language.

But as my second choice for a daily E-mail with part of the book, I picked Dostyevsky anyway. I’m not sure if I can call it a hit. Actually I know, it wasn’t. And having read not one disappointing book by him, it must be either the fact I read it in English or the fact I read it in seventy one pieces from a 14 inch screen instead of paper, to blame for the fact that I never really enjoyed the book.

I saw the idea of the story, the monologue from the main character needs full attention, not just a couple of minutes inbetween spam for Viagra, some African offering me a thirty percent share of their deceased prime-ministers fortune or the rants of Michael Moore against the Republicans.

The story is short, certainly when compared to his other books, the I-person, the author of the notes, has to deal with life and his loneliness, but mostly with his personal frustrations. Interesting, many philosophical debate could follow reading it, hence the book is more suitable for a reading group than for reading via computers.

I’ll stick to something more light when ordering my next book via dailylit.com

Quote: “It seemed to me that to invite myself so suddenly and unexpectedly would be positively graceful, and that they would all be conquered at once and would look at me with respect.” (page 44)


Number: 08-060
Title: Notes from the underground (Orig.: Zapiski iz podpolía)
Author: Fjodor Dostoyevsky
Language: English (Orig.: Russian)
Year: 1918
# Pages: 94 (11794)
Category: Literature
ISBN: 0-486-27053-X

 

Hard Gras 60 (08-058)

Vijftig jaar nadat Brazilië het wereldkampioenschap te Zweden won, besloot Hard Gras om twee van zijn sterren naar het land te sturen om nog eens over die titel te praten. Van Egmond en Van Roosmalen mogen samen op zoek naar de erfenis van Didi, Garrincha en natuurlijk Pelé.

Het resultaat is een dagboekachtig verslag van de reis van de twee, om en om geschreven, met vele leuke anekdotes, maar een beetje mager (lees: dun) voor een heel boek. Maar goed, onder het motto ‘kwaliteit gaat boven kwantiteit ‘ kan dit boek leuk meedoen in de reeks.

Leuke hoofdstuktitels overigens in de trant van: Hoofdstuk 25 waarin Marcel een boom bekijkt waar Garrincha tegenaan reed. Wat overigens niet als verrassing komt is dat het leven van Garrincha veel, maar dan ook veel interessanter is, dan dat van de Pelé. Voor vele liefhebbers was de manke buitenspeler dan ook een veel grotere held dan de spelmaker die later politicus en icoon werd.

Echt nieuws lezen we overigens niet in deze uitgave van het literaire voetbalblad. Maar volgens mij is dat ook niet echt de bedoeling.

Quote: “De brandweerauto arriveerde. De kist werd over de hoofden van de mensen doorgegeven. Er was niet genoeg aarde om de kist te bedekken. De mensen gooiden er gras op. Aan het eind van de dag bleek de begraafplaats half vernield achter.” (blz. 36)


Nummer: 05-058
Titel: Hard Gras 60. Van Didi tot Kaká.
Auteur: Michel van Egmond en Marcel van Roosmalen
Taal: Nederlands
Jaar: 2008
# Pagina’s: 96 (11462)
Categorie: Sport (voetbal)
ISBN: 978-90-468-0386-8

 

Jan Mulder – Iris (08-056)

Meestal houdt Jan Mulder het bij columns. Hij heeft overal een mening over en overal verstand van, dus is hij een gewilde gast in talkshows. Maar soms wil hij blijkbaar iets anders. Een roman dit keer dus. Al lijkt het meer een novelle.

Er lijken toch een aantal autobiografische elementen verwerkt te zijn in dit boek. De ex-topsporter Arend is de hoofdpersoon. Geen voetballer, maar een polsstokhoogspringer. Een van zijn zonen heeft een Noorse vrouw, zijn vrouw is een baken van rust in zijn leven. De jonge Iris is dat niet. Veertien is ze pas. Ze zet zijn leven even op de kop.

Iris is het verhaal van een vakantie op Mallorca met het hele gezin in de zomer van 2003. De actualiteit komt geregeld door het verhaal heen, Arend is een fanatieke krantenlezer. Beckham speelt een leuke bijrol door steeds in het nieuws te verschijnen. Arend heeft het niet makkelijk die hete zomer.

Leuk tussendoortje, maar niet heel bijzonder. Ik blijf meer fan van Mulder’s columns.

Quote: “Zij zijn zonen van het chattijdperk, spreken een andere taal, malen niet om een fout met d of dt. Wederkerend voornaamwoord en stomme e zijn voor hen onbekende begrippen, weetjes uit de Middeleeuwen.” (Blz. 46)


Nummer: 08-056
Titel: Iris. In de zomer van 2003
Auteur: Jan Mulder
Taal: Nederlands
Jaar: 2003
# Pagina’s: 188 (11102)
Categorie: Fictie
ISBN: 90-234-1283-4

Mart Smeets – Vuur (08-054)

Wanneer je gewoon schrijft wat je leuk vindt en de mensen kopen je verhalen. Je kiest het juiste moment voor een onderwerp en je brengt een boekje uit. Meestal is dat in de zomer de Tour, maar eens in de vier jaar mag Smeets over de Olympische Spelen schrijven. En hij weet gewoon dat hij er tienduizenden verkoopt. Natuurlijk spreekt hier de jaloezie mee. Tegenover de 18 verkochte exemplaren van mijn eigen Olympisch Dagboek (hint: nog steeds te koop, klik op de link), staat de oneindige reeks goedverkopende boeken van Smeets.

Gelukkig lees ik zijn boeken altijd met plezier, deze heb ik de hele zomer laten liggen tot tijdens de Olympische Spelen. Smeets schrijft mooie Olympische verhalen over sporters met -een verhaal. Sporters die hij persoonlijk gesproken heeft, uit binnen- en buitenland. Indien nodig zoekt hij ze weer op om de herinnering op te halen, soms is zijn eigen archief goed genoeg. Alles natuurlijk weer met een kijkje achter de buitenkant, de mens achter de sporter, het oog voor detail.

Mooie verhalen over Hennie Kuiper en Gerard Nijboer, over Gert Jakobs die sterker was dan Breukink tijdens de ploegentijdrit, over Michael Jordan en Florence Griffith. Natuurlijk over de volleybalheren, maar ook over Erica Terpstra en Martine Ohr.

Voor de feestdagen in december weer een boek. Bijna een zekerheid in het leven.

Quote: “’Come on Michael, the limo is waiting. Hurry up, baby’. Johnson fronste even, stond toen snel op, gaf me een hand en zei: ‘I am sorry, man. That’s the boss. I gotta leave, man. Sorry again.’” (Blz. 183)

Nummer: 08-054
Titel: Vuur
Auteur: Mart Smeets
Taal: Nederlands
Jaar: 2008
# Pagina’s: 207 (10538)
Categorie: Sport
ISBN: 978-90-468-0424-7

Emily Barr – Cuba libre (08-052)

I have read Barr before. Bagage (my review) four years ago, I just found my own review. Travel literature meets chick lit. It seems to work for her, this is her genre.

I’m not sure if I have read her first book as well, but this third one was a bit disappointing. The cover promises a lot: (“Bored with your life? Steal someone else’s”), but the story isn’t that great.

I like the idea of Maggie in her own tiny apartment in Brighton. She buys a baby phone for her sister and when trying it, ends up listening to her neighbours. She becomes addicted. After that the story gets out of hand and strange twists make it completely unbelievable. And unbelievable isn’t a compliment in this context, it is just a matter of fact.

That’s the moment you’re lost as a fiction writer. If the story loses it’s credibility, you’re gone.

In the end it needs a movie plot to save the story, but it only makes things worse. Learning Spanish and then using Italian quotes doesn’t help either. A wrong summary on the back, a quote that does not reflect the story, it does get worse.

In a clearance sale I recently bough the next book by Emily Barr. I hope it resembles Baggage, even though I wasn’t over excited with that one either. But this book certainly will not rank high in my end of year list. Let’s end positive: I did finish the book in one rainy night in.

Quote: “Off course reality turned out different. Around midnight they stood face to face with their landlord, Luis, who greeted them cheerfully. And even though Charlie hardly slept during the last 24 hours, he cried like a madman when they put him in his cot.” (Page 99)


Number: 08-052
Title: Cuba libre (Orig.: Cuban Heels)
Author: Emily Barr
Language: Dutch (Orig.: English)
Year: 2003
# Pages: 349 (10049)
Category: Chiclit
ISBN: 90-6974-525-9

William Fotheringham – Put me back on my bike (08-050)

During the Tour de France it is time to dive into my cycling library. Too many books, not enough time, the problem is familiar. One of the books that has been heading my TBR list, was this book by Fotheringham.

The Tour de France is a race full of small histories, big legends and memorable events. When the three come together, eternal fame is guaranteed. Not that one would want to achieve fame like Tom Simpson did, but it does make for a good story.

Fotheringham is writing the biography knowing that not everyone will appreciate his book. Simpson’s wife likes to keep the memory of her late husband untainted. But in an era when dope was exuberant, Simpson was one of the experts. Obviously those close to him will never admit that it was the combination of dope and exhaustion that killed Simpson, but it is still more logical than just plain bad luck.

We get to know Simpson well reading this book. Foteringham is a respected journalist and has written a great book. Born from the old continent, I remember frustration during holidays in Britain, decades ago, when it was impossible even to find out the winner of a stage, let alone view highlights, hence my initial scepticism about a British cycling book. But when it is about Simpson, the book has to be written by a British author.

At least the death of Simpson was the start of better medical attention and drug testing. I’m still not sure about the war on drugs in cycling, even if it is necessary, the way the French and Germans have risen to the challenge certainly isn’t the way I envision it.

For me reading this book was a great experience. It gave me plenty of new information, for instance on the stage won by Hoban the day after (should he have won it?), the difficult road to fame for a talent from outside the traditional cycling nations and the impact Simpson had on the conservative cycling world. Compliments to Fotheringham. This book should be on the shelf of every cycling fan.

Quote:”Amphetamines have a double whammy effect on body heat: their use leads to a temporary increase in the body’s core temperature and at the same time it also impairs the body’s capacity to regulate internal heat.” (Page 181)


Number: 08-050
Title: Put me back on my bike. In search of Tom Simpson.
Author: William Fotheringham
Language: English (UK)
Year: 2002
# Pages: 242 (9588)
Category: Sports (cycling)
ISBN: 0-224-016186-0

Ben Elton – Chart throb (08-048)

Elton’s book take up more and more of my shelf space. His novel This other Eden and his play Gasping were way ahead of their time, their attention for the way we pollute the world was twenty years before the rest of the world considered it interesting enough.

His latest books seem more like parodies. Dead Famous about a murder in the Big Brother house was a great Whodunit. High Society shows that the war on drugs cannot be won. Chart Throb deals with the recent rage in reality talent shows. In this case about 95.000 wannabe’s hoping to become the next pop star in Britain.

Either Elton, through his connections has a lot of inside information or he has let his mind wander and written a very cynical view of the main characters behind these shows. Either way, the book is gagging for more attention. It was very difficult to put down. Who would have thought that the Prince of Wales himself would enter this competition?

By the time I was half way the book though, we were still at the preliminary stages of the show. Up until then it was all preparation for the shows, with the main characters far away from the action. Probably like the real thing, but it made me think. Was it not possible to write the same book, but just a bit thinner? Say 50 to 100 pages less. It would have given the book a bit more speed and less the idea of a real life soap (which is was describing off course) where we have to see a lot, before something is really happening.

The twists in the end are not as surprising as the back cover is trying to make them. Basically the plot isn’t the strongest point in this book, but I guess that Elton had to come up with some plot, after he had already written most of the novel. Sometimes the plot decides the whole story (Stark), this time the story just needs a plot to end the novel. Never mind.

But I stick to my original thought that Elton always manages to write great books about whatever is in the news at the time. This certainly is one of them.

Quote: ”Fifteen minutes later the story was confirmed. His Royal Highness had indeed decided to volunteer for the experience of Chart Throb and hoped to be selected for audition. It was stressed that he wished to be treated in exactly the same manner as all the other applicants and that if he wasn’t he would withdraw.” (Page 70)


Number: 08-048
Title: Chart Throb
Author: Ben Elton
Language: English (UK)
Year: 2006
# Pages: 464
Category: Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-552-77376-8

Nick Hornby – The complete polysyllabic spree (08-044)

The author Nick Hornby is a reader himself. And so he turns into the reviewer Hornby for a monthly column in the American magazine Believer. A column is usually a bit more personal than a novel, though it is never as deep. If I look at Hornby’s books, his first novels (Fever Pitch and High Fidelity) are more personal than all of these columns. His latest books seem more made up.

Anyway, not relevant for this book. All the columns he wrote for Believer have been put together in this volume. I like columns, I love writing them myself, I am always searching the web for columns from authors I like and have managed to collect nearly 1800 of them already on my hard disk. The main disadvantage with columns though, is the fact that the author is inevitably repeating himself. Hornby even uses that trick once, when he starts a column exactly the same way as he had done a year before. Just checking if people read well. This could be fun if you read the magazine, but if you are reading the collected columns in a book, then a year ago is probably only a few days ago, at its most a fortnight.

Another thing is that Hornby agreed with the editors to stick to writing about books he liked. So if he had read a disappointing novel, he shan’t mention it in his column. However logical this may seem (why bother writing about bad or even unfinished books?), it takes away the edge of his writing.

On a more positive note, I quite liked the idea to put in some fragments from books he enjoyed. And books can be enjoyed several times. Or much later than planned. Sometimes one buys a novel and it remains on the shelf for years. Normally reviews only bother with fairly new books, but most people (at least Hornby and I) tend to read a lot of books that haven’t been published in the last six months. One of the fragments in this book is from David Copperfield, reminding the world again how great Dickens is and that he should be read much more often. At least by me I have to admit.

So even though this will never be my favourite Hornby book, even though I was annoyed with some jokes returning several times, it certainly is a book that got me thinking, a book that pointed me to new authors or new books by authors I knew, a book that was worth spending time on.

Quote: “I have been meaning to read a book about cricket for a while, with the sole intention of annoying you all. I even toyed with the idea of reading only cricket books this entire month, but then I realized that this would make it too easy for you to skip the whole column; this way, you have to wade through the cricket to get to the Checkov and the Roddy Doyle.” (page 127).


Number: 08-044
Title: The complete polysyllabic spree
Author: Nick Hornby
Language: English (UK)
Year: 2006
# Pages: 278 (8602)
Category: Non fiction
ISBN: 978-0-141-03069-2

Ingrid Betancourt – Woede in het hart (08-042)

Sometimes you pick a book from the shelf and you don’t know why. I had bought this book a couple of years ago. I must have bought a few dozen books since; always some book had come first when I considered reading it. Then, last June, I decided that it couldn’t wait any longer, I had to read her autobiography.

I started reading it during a trip, back home I had some other books unfinished and this book, half read, was waiting again. Exactly the day I continued reading it, I remember well, it was about quarter to nine in the evening, I read the notice that she had been released. For years she was kept hostage somewhere in the middle of the jungle in Columbia and just while I am reading her book, she was released.

Obviously she wrote the book before becoming a presidential candidate, but it describes very well her youth and her start in politics. Her story is one for a Hollywood movie. Growing up as a rich child, her parents both in politics, the girl becomes a politician. On her own against the rest. Big bad world against pretty young lady. Honesty against corruption.

It is impressive to see how she managed to get into parliament. I am also impressed with her dedication and perseverance. Yet, however beautiful she is, how much I do agree with her idea’s, after reading the book, she doesn’t become a warm person in my mind. Exactly the thing she apparently is, according to many. The warmth most Latin people I have met, have in abundance. Yet, when you choose an uncertain future in politics over your marriage, there is something wrong. When on several occasions your own children need to flee in the middle of the night, because the whole family is at risk, continuing the fight is brave, but not very understandable.

As everyone else I am very happy she has found liberty again after seven years without freedom. Having read how dedicated she is, I am fairly sure that regardless what happened, Betancourt will return to politics. Given what happened, it would surprise me if she doesn’t get elected president within the next decade. Then we’ll see if she is really capable of turning things around in a country that has suffered so much. Until then, I am looking forward on her complete story of the kidnapping, which she will, no doubt, write about as well.

Quote: “Four years have past since our separation, since I left Los Angeles. I took the risk of throwing my private life to shambles trying to regain my identity as a Colombian. Colombia has opened his arms wide open for me and those close to me have approached me, somewhat surprised about what is happening to me, though loving, faithful and helpful.” (Page 106)

Number: 08-042
Title: Woede in het hart (Orig.: La rage au Coeur)
Author: Ingrid Betancourt
Language: Dutch (Orig.: French)
Year: 2001
# Pages: 255 (8196)
Category: Autobiography / Politics
ISBN: 90-5831-265-8

P.G. Wodehouse – Three men and a maid (08-040)

For the first time in my life I have read a full book not on paper. The website Dailylit.com will send you a daily E-mail with a part of a book. The first book I chose to read this way was this book by Wodehouse. 71 mails it took me to read the whole book. From March 13, until June 19, before it was over.

I had deliberately chosen Wodehouse for this experiment. I am a man of paper. I love a book in my hand. I adore strolling through bookshops; you can do me no bigger favour than giving me plenty of time and money in a second hand bookshop. Obviously I read from a screen on a daily basis. But that’s newspapers, weblogs, information, pictures, movie chunks. Not real stories, not literature.

Wodehouse has been praised by many authors I have read. He is a comic genius apparently. So I decided to read a book by Wodehouse. And it was worth it. I am still not sure if reading via E-mail will be a thing that gets a regular place in my life, but reading Wodehouse certainly will.

The story about three different man courting the same young lady is hilarious and you can see where many English author got his inspiration. Many television comedies wouldn’t have existed had not Wodehouse been such a popular writer ages ago.

Quote: “As Sam looked at her the thought crossed his mind that here was a wonderful chance of making the most tremendous impression on this girl. What would she not think of a man who, reckless of his own safety, dived in and went boldly to the rescue?” (Mail 9/71)


Number: 08-040
Title: Three men and a maid
Author: P.G. Wodehouse
Language: English
Year: 1922
# Pages: 172 (7565)
Category: Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-6042-4216-4