Re-Building Broken Britain with Broken Hearts

Small Island - Andrea Levy

Award-winning novel, Small Island, is the moving tale of the black and white divide between people in England shortly after World War II. Following four characters, two Jamaican, two English, Levy explores the effects of the war, the disillusionment of those seeking a better life in Britain and the difficulties of love and prejudice.

Recently made into a BBC TV series, Small Island has recently received a new lease of life. The novel was critically acclaimed upon its initial release, but the popularity of TV has allowed people to rediscover this wonderful book.

Split into chapters told from the point of view of the four main characters, reading about their hopes, fears and darkest secrets alligns you strangely with none of them. You learn to love them as you share their experiences but you also can't help but dislike a little aspect of each one of them; one's stubborness, another's grumpiness and some pretentiousness force you to look at what is surrounding these characters. Levy looks at the difficulties post-war Britain faced as it simultaneously tried to rebuild itself as well accepting the new arrivals from overseas.

Nevertheless, this book feels far from preachy as it is not entirely focused on racism. The most striking element of the novel is not just the difficulty that people of different races had with loving and liking each other, Levy also looks at the problems that men and women must overcome in order to love one another. The two women of the story, Hortense from Jamaica and Queenie from England make tough, selfish and selfless decisions throughout their lives and still struggle to live with the men they marry. Yet, despite appearances, their ability to love links these two incredibly different women forever in a way they can never realise.

It is Levy's ability to divulge the characters' secrets to her readers, but not to the other characters themselves that makes this the beautiful story that it is. Sometimes you feel that if everyone told the truth, everything would become clearer and more simple - of course, life is rarely that easy. This novel is steeped in reality and the author subtly proves that bigger issues, as well as pure human nature, sometimes get in the way of the truth. Social obligations mould these characters whether they fight against them or not and it is the truth about post-war society that is really revealed in this book.

Possibly the best thing about Small Island is the unexpected ending. It is a moving and compassionate tale that ends with the same hard-hitting reality that the entire novel provides. The book is full of small surprises but the last is the best and it draws the story neatly together as Hortense, Queenie, Bernard and Gilbert are brought together in a final climax. It is difficult to describe suchly a deeply detailed book without spoiling some of its beauty - all that can be said is that everyone should pick this one up and experience humanity at both its best and its worst.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Small Island'.

Souped Up Superheroes Don't Have to Be Such a Bad Thing

Sherlock Holmes

Directed by Guy Ritchie, 2009.

So Arthur Conan Doyle's hero has been re-made and put on the big screen once again - but has this modern, mad and quick-witted detective got a bit carried away, getting too close to the Bond and Batman scene?

Sherlock Holmes' (Robert Downey Jr) latest adventure sees him and his pal Dr Watson (Jude Law) facing the lecherous Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) who uses apparent supernatural powers to spark fear and panic in the Victorian British public. Holmes' powers of logical deduction take him right across the murky depths of London, battling a French brute, chasing a ginger dwarf and trying to resist the temptation that is Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams).

I for one think that the central partnership is one of the best of recent years. A notoriously wooden Law unexpectedly steps up brilliantly as the dashing and reliable Watson to contrast with the madly intelligent attitude that comes with Downey Jr as Holmes. The two fit together like two pieces of a puzzle bickering in the way old friends do but nevertheless unfailing in their friendship. It's also nice to see an intelligent, controlled Watson rather than a dithering fool who seemingly can't grasp Holmes' brilliant ways.

However, there is the inescapable Ritchie flair about the movie, with a similar folky score, slow-motion explosions and bare-chested brawls that have become this director's signature. Surprisingly, not all of it seems out of place. The intensity of Watson's close shaves, and Sherlock's sticky situations keeps the pace of this film, which is ultimately an introduction to further films.

Hans Zimmer's score was also a highlight of the film. A perfect mix of scratchy violins and honky-tonk piano to match Sherlock's quirky disposition as well as the mucky underworld of the Victorian setting. It made the action more gripping as well as creating a unique sound for this unique Sherlock.

The film is long, but definitely doesn't feel it, and yet there is plenty of room for further development both with character and plot. Downey Jr brings fun and excitement to Sherlock's character and Law provides a brilliant counterpart, but the female aspect of the film is weaker. Irene Adler remains an ambiguous character and her relationship with Holmes is unclear, but she adds another dimension to the detective that will be better developed in the movies to come.

Overall, this film is a must-see. So it's a souped-up version of the original detective, but that does not make it a bad movie. It's exciting, visually entertaining and shows an impressive cast at their best. It might have the Ritchie flair, but it has all the qualities of a Hollywood blockbuster too - I'd happily count the Victorian detective amongst some of our most exciting superheroes, even if there isn't anything superhuman about him. Ultimately, he's brilliant, and really that's all that counts.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Sherlock Holmes'.

New Year - New Start

Happy New Year to one and all! I hope everyone had a sufficiently Christmassy break, eating lots, drinking more and being very merry. Now it's another new year, a new decade even, and we're all undoubtedly slightly less pleased with our appearances than before Christmas. But, I'm a student so a bit of extra weight should be enough to see me through the next term!

Looking back over my last year's blogging, it looks to have been a pretty poor turn out. So -

New Year's Resolution #1: Blog more.

Believe it or not I have lots to say but it just never seems to get written down. We can all use the excuse that we don't have time and I've been pretty weighed down by all that Renaissance reading those lecturers have given me but I've just spent 2 hours watching episodes of Friends I've seen more times than the number of real friends I have, so I can't be that short of minutes.

So watch out for more book reviews, more film reviews and hopefully a few more theatre reviews as well.

2009 was the year I started out as editor for the Arts, Books and Creative section of the University of Reading's student newspaper, Spark* and I can't believe I've gone four months without mentioning it. Well, the time has come to present the newspaper's website.

Set up late last year, the website contains all the articles and photographs published in the current issue of Spark*, so visit www.rusu.org.uk/spark to take a look at we do. All the articles are written by those studying at the university and we pride ourselves on being one of the last remaining student papers still being produced entirely by students.

I hope to still be working on the paper throughout 2010, so I'll make it another blogging priority to update you on the top stories for students this year - we can get pretty miffed about stuff when we want to.

Well I suppose that's it for now - but don't lose faith in me because this blogger is definitely back in business! I might also embarrass myself with some of my own creative works later this year, but we'll see!

All the best for 2010!