The Masterpiece

by Emile Zola
Fourteenth novel in the Rougon Macquart series. This novel more than any other of Zola's is based on real characters from his own circle of friends, including himself as the novelist Sandoz. There were parts of it I found really interesting and great writing such as the crowds at the exhibition and the struggles of trying to portray nature in painting. But other parts, such as Sandoz talking about writing a series of novels based around a family just seemed too anal. Still a great insight into the Paris art scene in mid nineteenth century Paris 7/10

www.emilezola.info

The Uncommon Reader

by Alan Bennett
If you ever feel guilty curling up and reading a book this is the perfect book to assuage your guilt. Written with gentle humour this is a great book and it will only take you an afternoon in front of the fire to read. My only problem was it was not long enough! 9/10

The Shape of Water

by Andrea Camilleri
A crime mystery by an Italian author set in Sicily. A quick easy read-I read it during a four hour train journey-that was very enjoyable. A nice light touch in the principal character, Inspector Montalbano, which I like in a crime book. 6/10

Germinal

by Emile Zola
Thirteenth of the Rougon Macquart and probably the most well known.
This was a great read with some of Zola's most memorable crowd scenes as the striking miners protest and rampage. You are drawn in to the terror of group action. The book also portrays the disconnect between the working class and the bourgeoisie that doesn't seem a million miles from the position in the Paris suburbs today. A great book. 9/10

www.emilezola.info

Hallucinating Foucault

by Patricia Duncker
This is a haunting novel based around a fictional mad French writer obsessed with Foucault and an unnamed Phd student obsessed with the writer. It is all about the relationship between writer and reader but is told in a gripping way that holds your attention even though the conclusion is inevitable. 7/10

Eugénie

by Desmond Seward
This is a biography of the wife of Napoleon III and the empress of the second empire. It is written from a very supportive view and is very readable.
It does not set out to supply new information but it does give an interesting portrait of second empire life and is a great background to the Rougon Macquart novels of Emile Zola.
A good bibliography as well. 8/10

www.emilezola.info

The Journal of the de Goncourts

This is extracts from the diaries of the French brothers covering the period 1851 to Edmond's death in 1896. It is a fascinating glimpse from one part of French society of the second empire period and its aftermath including a first hand account of the seige of Paris and the commune. There were parts which recounted details of people I do not know but this did not distract from my enjoyment.
I bought this second hand so it may no longer be in print but could definitely be picked up on Abe books. 8/10

Darkmans

by Nicola Barker
This is the 4th novel I have read that appears on this years Man Booker shortlist and I felt really let down by it. The novel is gripping to read and has some fantastic comic characters as well as dark undertones that pull you in to the story.
It is a long book (800+ pages) which makes the last 100 pages all the more disappointing, as you realise that nothing is going to happen and characters just disappear with no explanation. It has received a lot of plaudits and no doubt I am missing the clever undertones but I am not convinced that clever makes for a good read 4/10

Mr. Pip

by Lloyd Jones
A book about one of my favourite books, Great Expectations. But this book is more about the power of a novel itself to transform our world and experience and even to save us from our experience. This book has the power to shock you as it describes the bloody civil war on a pacific island but also to protect you from these realities. The book is still lingering with me even after putting it down. Thank you Mr. Jones (and of course, Mr. Dickens). Great larks 8/10

On Chesil Beach

by Ian McEwan
As ever with McEwan this is beautifully written and evokes places and times in a wonderful way. I found the plot very thin and the end incredibly rushed but no doubt it will remain the bookies favorite for the Booker prize. I would still go for the reluctant fundamentalist. 7/10

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

by Mohsin Hamid

Long-listed for the booker prize this year this is a short gripping novel and highly recommended.

It is written in the first person and is one side of an unusual conversation. It builds suspense gradually and has a gentle humour as well as being very touching. It also makes you think about some of the larger issues in the world and hopefully offers a slightly different perspective. 9/10

Zest for Life

by Emile Zola

The twelfth novel in the Rougon-Macquart series and the worst so far in my view. The plot is extremely thin and being obsessed with death is very depressing. No wonder one of the hero's idols is Schopenhauer.
The novel is set on the Normandy coast and has some good description of the sea and its relentless attack on the cliffs. There are some graphic descriptions of childbirth and gout but I found the whole thing a bit too repetitious. Hopefully it will be like La Curée and improve on second reading. Still the good news is that the next novel is Germinal and this I love. 4/10

www.emilezola.info

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexander Dumas
If AD was alive today he would surely be writing film scripts. This book moves at such an exhilarating pace that the 1200+ pages seemed to fly by with its cast of prisoners, thieves, bandits, child murderers, poisoners, lesbians, drug users, and more. For a ripping yarn and not quite the expected ending this is great stuff. 9/10

The Blond Baboon

by Jan willem van de Wetering
Another crime mystery and this time our laid back Amsterdam heroes are back in their home town investigating the death of an old woman. A very easy read but great fun as ever7/10

The Ladies Paradise

by Emile Zola
The eleventh book in the Rougon Macquart series and one of the most fascinating to date. It follows on very closely from Pot Bouille following the fortunes of Octave Mouret and the growth of the department store. The social and economic history element to this book is as fascinating as the character narrative itself.
The heroine reminded me very much of a Dickensian heroine although I did enjoy her resolve in leaving her uncle and the umbrella maker to run with the new. 9/10

www.emilezola.info

Pot-Bouille

by Emile Zola
This marks the half way stage in the Rougon-Macquart series being the tenth out of 20 novels. It is set in Paris and describes the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie through the goings on in one house in the Rue de Choiseul. Only one member of the Rougon-Macquarts features and this is Octave Mouret who comes to Paris from the South and sets about conquering Paris and its women, with varying success.
It was a good read and as usual peopled with a number of great characters, notably the horrible Mme Josserand and her equally obnoxious brother, Bachelard 8/10

Northanger Abbey

by Jane Austen
A very enjoyable yarn from Jane Austen. Her books are very amusing and this one has a great, but not too taxing, mystery running through it. 9/10

Zola, A Life

by Frederick Brown

An excellent book. It is very readable and has a great balance between Zola's life and his works and a very good chapter summarising the Dreyfus affair. There are also some interesting photos spread throughout the book. If you want a comprehensive introduction to Emile Zola and his work then this would be a good place to start. 9/10

Amazing Disgrace

by James Hamilton-Paterson

This is the follow-up to the excellent Cooking with Fernet Branca and gives us the further exploits of the snobbish but very funny ghost writer Gerald Samper. This time he is writing the biography of a one armed and obnoxious woman sailor while longing for more worthwhile subjects, such as Max Christ the composer.
The book has some very amusing episodes but seems to rely to heavily on its predecessor and I did not enjoy it as much. 5/10

The Bullet Trick

by Louise Welsh

This was a good thriller set between Glasgow, London and Berlin and involves the bizarre tale of a conjuror going through a tough time. It was gripping and I read it very quickly although in places it felt a bit strung out. Would still recommend it though. 7/10

Nana

by Emile Zola

The ninth book in the Rougon Macquart series.
This is one of the best known of Zola's novels, not least for the allegations of pornography when first published. Now, more than 100 years later it still has the ability to shock in its depiction of a society rotting beneath a facade of respectability.
I did not enjoy this as much as some of his books as I found it difficult to differentiate some of the characters early on but still a good read. 7/10