The Pheasants' Revolt

"The Pheasants' Revolt" by Brian Viner (2007 Simon & Schuster hardcover 314pp)

In recent times I seem to have picked up a habit of reading the work of what might be called ‘comfort Brits’. Writers such as Michael Booth, Andrew Collins, Shaun Bythell, Andy Miller and even Jon Ronson. All UK-based, my age or older and all wonderfully self-effacing and funny as they describe their general life experiences and/or zero in on a particular topic to fill multiple books.

Brian Viner is another those authors and I’ve been reading his output mostly out of chronological order – in one book he’s been a new parent while in the next his kids are starting high school. Apart from his sport-focused volumes I think I’ve caught up with most of his written life now.

“The Pheasants’ Revolt” is a direct sequel to his earlier book “Tales of the Country” in which he described (with plenty of anecdotes and digressions) how he decided to move his family from a comfortable life in London to a more challenging situation in rural Herefordshire. Its pretty much more of the same this time out. It’s a fun comfort read as always and he goes out into more tangents, relating many friend-of-a -friend type tall tales that might illustrate a point he’s making about country life. Nothing too shocking or unexpected then but a worthy diversion.

Calypso

"Calypso" by David Sedaris (2018 Little, Brown hardcover 260pp)

I was a late comer to the wonders of David Sedaris. I had heard of him and noticed he was appearing more and more frequently on TV chat shows and radio programmes but knew little of his work. I had pigeon-holed him as yet another US comedian/humourist not really worth my time. By the time I actually picked up and read one of his books (some time in 2017) he had two decades of published writing under his belt. Suddenly I knew what all the fuss was about and became a devoted fan. Now I find myself searching online for news of more material and his media appearances. I recently finished “Theft by Finding” his edited diaries that date back to the late 1970s..what a ride he’s had getting to the top.

“Calypso” probably isn’t a good starting point for a reader new to Sedaris. The book is more gentle, contemplative and melancholy than earlier works. The gags are still there along with a few surprises but I only found myself laughing out loud in a couple of places. This volume zooms in very close to his family, their summer beach house and his frequent thoughts of mortality. Warm and full of humanity but don’t pick this up expecting ‘gag-a-minute’ material, it’s a different beast.

Coders

(Short Review)

"Coders: Who They Are, What They Think And How They Are Changing Our World" by Clive Thompson  (2019 Picador softcover 436pp)

In "Coders" journalist and fellow tech-head Clive Thompson explores the world of the computer programmer. Their origins, world view and lifestyle. Particular attention is paid to the myths of meritocracy which abound in the field and the institutional sexism and racism that seems to have arisen in the tech engineering sector over the last 40 years. The libertarian fantasies of programmers and their corporate masters also become a target for Thompson. However the book is somewhat broader than all that and particularly fascinating are the 'case history' type sections where he delves into the personal stories of coders and how they came into the industry. Overall a good and important read for our time.

"Stand by for action!"

Armada

(Short Review)



"Armada" by Ernest Cline (2015 Crown hardcover 357pp)

In a word, disappointed.  After the fun and inventive tour-de-force that was “Ready Player One”, this book comes across as flat and shallow. It’s more like a treatment for a rather ho-hum summer movie than a novel.

A Video game-addicted young man who never really knew his father discovers all the games were actually training to fight off an imminent alien invasion…and his father was somehow involved. There’s not much more than that. Constant hints that there’s something else really going on lead to a big reveal that left me totally underwhelmed. Wait for the movie.

Returning soon..

Yes, after a year or so I'm preparing to post some new reviews, don't die of shock!!

The Epic of Gilgamesh

(Short review)

“The Epic of Gilgamesh” by ??? (translated by Andrew George)

Perhaps the ultimate in ‘referred to, but never read’ stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest known stories on earth. This recent translation pieces together the known fragments into a very readable and lyrical prose poem. In some places it seems surprisingly modern, in others it seems completely alien.  Gilgamesh, a king of the city-state Uruk makes a new friend and goes on several adventures before having to face his own mortality – there’s not much more to it than that, but it’s the granddaddy of all literature and certainly worth a read.

Descent

(Short review)

“Descent” by Ken MacLeod

An entertaining and thought-provoking coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of a future Scottish industrial revolution and UFO paranoia. Nothing is quite what it seems, even this book.