Got Soul?

I Know You Got Soul - Jeremy Clarkson

Recommended by my Cash Source, this is the first non-fiction book I've read in some time. Standing ninth of eleven books written by Jeremy Clarkson, it proved to be something a bit different to the style that I normally read; but putting a bit of extra knowledge in the ol' noggin never hurt anyone. As a history student, I was particularly drawn to looking at the development of machines through the ages, which is only a little of what this book does.

Naturally, it's Clarkson and his beloved machines. However, this time, instead of the general gobbledy gook, horse power, mumbo jumbo car piffle, he focuses on a few of the 'greatest' machines made by man. As the title suggests, he then gives us a report that ultimately tells us why they "got soul". Each chapter is dedicated to a different machine, from the AK-47 to the Hoover Dam and it is a very interesting read; you get the typical random 'little boy' facts that Jeremy Clarkson so famously loves alongside the unique history of each machine's life.

Although, cleverly written with wit and humour, it is a book of opinion and not just fact. Even if a certain machine has got soul, Clarkson doesn't hesitate to tell us how crap it might have been from time to time - like the futility of the zeppelin. I had already thought that the zeppelin was a slightly stupid idea - having done history, I know it did pretty poorly in the First World War - but I didn't know it was quite such a chore to make it. In fact, Clarkson makes the 17 or so attempts to fly the thing a very amusing read; over several pages he reviews the effort and the stupidity involved and the sheer length of his writing gives you a sense of the length of time and the frustration it took to create. And yet, the German taxpayers kept forking out their money for some dipstick to keep it going.

Clarkson is notorious for his opinions, and doesn't hold back in this book either but I wouldn't say it makes an uninteresting or annoying read. It can be very funny if you can relate to what he says, but if you don't agree that all teenagers are spotty and slow amongst other things, you might not have much time for him. However, I agreed to sit down with this book knowing that the man evokes a little giggle in me from time to time on his hit show Top Gear. I was not disappointed in that this book made me giggle too; his writing style is clearly very similar to his style of speech. So if you find his voice annoying, you won't enjoy his books.

However, I did enjoy this book, but when I did a bit of research on it I saw one man described each chapter as an "essay" and I realised he was right. Further reading showed that many people felt that his style became quite repetitive and I realised both these opinions go hand in hand. I read the book very quickly, in about two days, and in reading chapter after chapter after chapter, you start to feel that his style is very samey and the title he had in mind for each chapter is obviously: "In what ways is the [name of amazing machine] full of soul and what reasons can you give for this?" Nevertheless, he gives very valid reasons for why each machine has soul, except for perhaps the aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which he just seems to find noisy and big. As well as this, he does present his argument with humour and even with a little imagination - there's even a scene involving Nicole Kidman and some serious muscular strength.

So, to conclude, is I Know You Got Soul worth the attention of your own soul? I'd say yes. It's not a challenging read and you can bump up your IQ whilst still having a little giggle. Stay away if you groan and grunt when you see him on the telly and know him as "that tall bloke who won't shut up about his hot wheels." If you like the classic machines and bit of their valuable history, it's a good informative and interesting read. If you like Clarkson, you'll love that his unique style continues to shine through. However, of all the books I've read, I don't think I'd say that this has quite "got soul", a bit of brains, a bit of wit, but no non-fiction for me can really have a heart.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "I Know You Got Soul".

Apologies

I am sorry to say that I have sinned as a blogger and haven't posted for about two weeks. Shame on me. But, I am currently redeeming myself so I figured I've gotten away with it. I've been thinking about what other reviews I could write but then I realised that I haven't put a normal post up for even longer than two weeks! So here it is, as normal as it gets anyway.

What can I reflect upon? Holiday!

My holiday in Montenegro was very, very good; hot, sunny, beautiful scenery, nice restaurants, lazy and just generally wonderful. I got to have a good ol' chin wag with the parents; considering we didn't have a family holiday last year, we had quite a lot to wag about. There were a couple of minor dramas; Mum fell in the road whilst running but swiftly James-Bond-rolled out of harm's way and came back only bleeding a bit. Then she bled a bit more. Then we decided she should go to hospital. One stitch and five hospital trips later, she was hunky dory again. My sister, in a desperate attempt to get a better tan than me (like that could ever happen), stayed in the sun too long and ended up face down in a fish restaurant. She'd fainted. It was alright though, Mum waved a slice of lemon under her nose and she quickly came around - bewildered at why anyone would dare put lemon on her face. All in all though, very enjoyable. It's always nice to do nothing occasionally.

What next? School!

Yes, school. I'm one of the unlucky few who started school on Tuesday 21st August. Why? God only knows. I had a very odd headteacher who, for some reason only known to him, liked the five term year for schools. So we got it. And a four week summer. Rubbish. However, despite the first depressing trudge to the bus stop on the first day, my first week as a whole has been very good. Although I enjoyed my studies last year (starting in a new place, everything was exciting and different), this year, I am enjoying my studies a thousand times more - already! All of my lessons seem to appeal to me much more; the topics are more interesting, the teachers seem to be more passionate about what they're teaching and there is a bigger determination amongst the class to succeed. Though of course it will be tough, it looks like it's going to be a good year.

Now... Results!

My A/S results came through, along with many others , on 16th August this year. Obviously, there isn't as much of a hoo hah about them as there is for GCSE and A level results (most people don't really understand the point of them) but they are important to some people - A/S students. They might not seem that significant but we still don't want to have spent a year of our life working to gain nothing. I have since learnt that these results mostly determine what grade you will recieve in A2 courses, and to some people's surprise, you can't do that well if you get a 'U' grade. I actually got my grades a day later than most people because I was on holiday, but they were waiting on the doorstep for me when I got home. No, not the doorstep... I meant the other side of the door. The mat, I suppose. But, I don't have a mat. Anyway, to the important bit - the grades. I got:

• English Literature - A


• Theatre Studies - B


• French - B


• History - A

It's fair to say I was chuffed, particularly pleasing was my grade in English because it is most important to me. And I did spell out 'ABBA' deliberately. So, I'll be continuing all four subjects into A2. I'd just like to say well done to all my fellow students on your results; I'm sure you all did very well. And parents, congratulate your sons and daughters - it might not be A level just yet, but it was still jolly hard work.

Something more exciting...? Chicago!

22nd August, my family and I ventured to the theatre once again, this time indoors in Eastbourne, to watch the popular West End musical, Chicago. Obviously, it was fantastic with only a few flaws, but I don't think I'm quite to the standard of being able to fully review West End productions! Another reason for my reluctance to review it properly is that I found myself making every judgement in comparison to the film. The stage show and the film are quite different, the film having a lot more acting and the stage show being all about the music, song and dance. The movie is one of my favourites and so, at the beginning, I was critical of the musical for not being the same. However, I still couldn't help enjoying it and Act Two was an incredible act. The court scene was a particular favourite of mine; it was nothing like the film and so it stood out as unique and original. I stand by the idea that a musical's chorus is far better than its principles; they dance amazingly, precisely in time to the music and each other; they look fantastic, they sound fantastic and I'm sure they have more energy than six rockets combined. All in all, it was very impressive and very fun, and they succeeded in holding my attention strongly enough to stop me singing along.

Well, I think that just about concludes this post. Do enjoy the weather - it's almost sunny in the South East.

Have a happy Sunday.

One Hearty Tale

Marley & Me - John Grogan

Firstly, there's something you should know about me; I love dogs. Not only do I love dogs, but when I read stories/see films/see pictures of them, I go into an emotional frenzy. For example, when I was four I watched an episode of The Simpsons where the family dog ran away due to neglect - I cried. More recently, around two months ago my school teacher made a slide show of pictures dedicated to her recently deceased dog - I cried. I well up simply at the sight of those wretched RSPCA leaflets you get through your door. So, naturally when an American journalist wrote about the story of his life alongside the 'World's Worst Dog', at the end, I cried.

Luckily, I think I was able to disguise my tears as sweat or sea water. The snot was a little more difficult to conceal as I was on the beach in sunny Montenegro and sandy grit kept sticking to my top lip. Not attractive, especially compared to Little Miss Pretty to my right and Big Boobs Super Tan to my left. Nevertheless, I was happy to persevere with this book until the very end in full public view. Sadly, although the book had such an emotional effect on me, it could never be one my favourites.

For me, Marley & Me was a special book before I'd picked it up; it was a gift from two American friends. We hosted Michelle and Melina for five days, and at the end of their short stay, Michelle gave my family and I this book. We'd never heard of it, but apparently it was very popular in America. It was only about two weeks later that I saw Marley & Me on sale in the supermarket where I work. However, the main reason that she gave it to us was because the hero of the story, Marley, is a golden Labrador retriever. My dog too, is a yellow Lab; exactly the same as Marley, minus the 'World's Worst Dog' qualities. Stig (yes, Stig) is in fact the World's Best Dog; he only chewed through two wooden steps, three phone wires, a PlayStation controller and one windowsill. Not bad, I think you'll agree. Anyway, with the antics of my dog in my mind, this book looked like I would be able to relate to it sufficiently enough to enjoy it.

The book itself, begins when John Grogan and his wife, Jenny, are thinking of purchasing a puppy. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Marley, the puppy of their choice, is a hyper-active, destructive, nervous monster. However, in my opinion, this dog is no worse than many others and all of his expensive antics were never conducted in a malicious manner. Marley is all fun, his very existence in the centre of a growing family being enough to keep him overjoyed almost all the time. The book covers Marley's life time and during that, the growth of the Grogan family from a couple of newlyweds to the experienced working parents of three young children. From miscarriage to moving house, Marley shares it all and Grogan now takes the time to share it with his readers.

I would not like to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did. However, there were certain aspects that I disliked about Grogan's style. For one, it screamed American. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word just oozed the stuff. Of course, the vocabulary was spelt slightly differently, according to American grammatical rules, but you couldn't rule out the Yankee lifestyle. The stylish house, the perfect family and of course, the patriotism. Oh yes, even a story about a rogue Labrador can include the "valor and sacrifice" that the US flag represents. OK, I should give Grogan a break; his style is American because he is American and everybody loves a bit of patriotism, don't they? Naturally, I'm biased for being British, but by golly don't the Americans love America.

The second thing I disliked about Grogan's writing was his tendency to repeat himself. Over and over it seemed the author was writing about the destruction his dog had caused as if it was something new to get excited or horrified at. The dog constantly flung slobber over furniture, chewed through walls and stole food... for his whole life. Whereas it was interesting to learn each new destructive technique when it first arrived, Grogan began telling his readers what they already knew. It made some aspects of the book, sometimes whole chapters, slightly irrelevant.

The third thing, I think was down to personal taste. On the back of the book read comments such as "very funny" and "heartfelt and frequently hilarious". In my opinion it was not frequently hilarious. The stories he told had the potential to be very funny, I'll admit, but the style in which Grogan retold them was not. Grogan is a magnificent story-teller, recounting events with much detail. For this reason, each 'hilarious' event was easy to conjure up in your mind. However, despite this, I still didn't find reason to laugh. A frequently hilarious novel is one that actually makes you laugh out loud - frequently. For me, this book did neither.

However, don't be put off, my mum has just stuck her nose into the first few chapters and already she's giggling - out loud. So, for some this book obviously does carry the characteristics of a comedy. As well as this, as I've already mentioned, Grogan is a fantastic story-teller and he most definitely appeals to his audiences well. Obviously, this comes from his experiences as a columnist, where he must find a subject of appeal. Even I, despite a few grumbles, felt totally drawn in by my relationship with my own dog. Everything he said about dogs, particularly Labradors, was complete truth; they really are an extremely loyal breed. Just like Marley, my dog follows me round the house like a magnet, despite stiff hips. It was the fact that this book told a completely down-to-earth story of love and devotion, happiness and despair that makes it a bestseller. If you're a dog lover, you'll enjoy it. If not, I doubt you'll find much enjoyment in it at all. Nevertheless, don't hesitate to try it; it's well written and has been well enjoyed by many.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Marley & Me'.

So, are the Harry Potter books worth all the fuss?

According to my poll, 4 out of 5 people believe so. Well, I'm still on my holidays, basking in the 35 degree sun, on the beach, by the cool, blue sea with... sorry, got carried away. What I was getting to is that, fortunately, I have the time to try and tackle the 700 page Order of the Phoenix, which, as I previously guessed, my sister has surrendered to me - unread.

So, this is really just a short post to remind all you fellow English lovers that I am pursuing my curiosity about J.K. Rowling's, so called, 'masterpieces' but in the mean time, I'm also reading up on a few other styles. My next battle is the latest Sophie Kinsella installment, Shopaholic and Baby. I say battle, but really it's a breeze. It's just some light-hearted entertainment that will possibly put me off shopping... Nah! Could anything?! It'll probably just make me wish I was richer, which in turn will depress me. I will then organise a spending spree to cheer myself up. And so the cycle continues... On a plus, I might be richer than I think - it's pay day :) However, being in a foreign land, I can't check my balance. So, I'll have to get back to you on my actual economic status.

Have a good evening.

PS. If you hadn't guessed, they do have the Internet in Montenegro, so there's no break from my blogging.

Fact in Fiction

Hitler's Canary - Sandi Toksvig

I like to read a variety of books just to get a taste of every kind of writing. It's entertaining, exciting and, in my opinion, helps shape a good writer. This book indeed is very different. Based on the experiences of the author's father in World War Two, it does not take place on the Western Front or in Britain or France like typical war novels - this is a story of a young boy on his home soil in Denmark. A little bit of fact, with a little bit of fiction.

Hitler's Canary, written from the point of view of a thirteen-year old boy, portrays the effect of the Second World War on Denmark. Unlike Birdsong, this novel does not follow the life of a soldier but a boy called Bamse's outlook on how the war affects his country, his family, his friends and even himself. Not too much gore, a little terror and a lot of of bravery.

The novel is written for a young audience, between the ages of 10 and 14, but can easily be enjoyed by all. It is a fairly light-hearted tale of adventure packed with some good ol' 'lessons to be learnt'. However, don't be fooled into thinking that Toksvig treats the war as a simple adventure to be enjoyed - far from it. She successfully writes in a style that children will enjoy whilst still emphasising that the war was a very serious thing; "It wasn't funny at all."

It is also interesting to read about the war from the point of view of a child, something not often read about or experienced (except perhaps in the famous diaries of Anne Frank). However, totally different from the diaries of the young Jewish girl, Hitler's Canary shows how this young boy got involved in the protection of the Danish Jews by being part of the resistance. Yet, the beginning of the book, (when Bamse is only ten) shows that at first the war was too big an issue to understand and undoubtedly, children were unsure how to react if foreign soldiers occupied their cities. Nevertheless, this book shows that children of all ages were affected and had a difficult time all of their own.

Bamse, the main character of the story, has to struggle to keep up with the antics of his older brother, a freedom fighter in the resistance. As well as this, he wants to keep his more docile father happy by not upsetting the Germans and carrying on as normal. In addition to this is the need to please his best friend, "one of the most daring boys in Denmark", a Jewish boy. Naturally, he has the age-old dilemmas that all children suffer at some stage; please your friends or your family? Not always easy to please both. However, a particular highlight of this book for me is the constant fear this young boy reminds himself of and the courage he always finds and never credits himself for.

Toksvig cleverly covers all aspects of the occupation; the soldiers' tendency to take and use whatever facilities they want; the bravery of ordinary citizens in smuggling the Jews out of danger; the fear felt by the Jews in occupied countries. Yet, her style is very simple and entertaining to keep her young audience interested. I particularly liked the hooks she used at the end of some chapters. "it would also be her last", begs the simple question - why? Toksvig uses similar one-liners to keep her reader reading.

I first picked up this book because I thought it had a fun title; 'Hitler's Canary' I later learned was the Allies' name for Denmark in the early stages of the war. I took a closer look and it seemed to be a book aimed more at younger people. But I have a younger brother, and it was on a 3 for 2 offer so I thought 'why not?' On reading the blurb, I saw mentions of the theatre and it got me a little more interested. It turns out that this book, although it has a couple of quotes from the odd Shakespeare play, is not about the theatre, and not entirely about having fun. It is a good way to introduce the terrifying experiences of Nazi occupation in World War Two to children across the globe; it doesn't get too deep, Toksvig shapes it into a digestible adventure story and finally, there's a note at the back giving a few horrifying statistics about the Second World War. Most importantly, they are well selected; they are nearly all about the children, whom, of course, the war affected too.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Hitler's Canary'.