Quatermass' Book Reading Blog...Round Two

Post Reply New Topic

I very nearly gave up on this thing, but now, I have managed to finish one more book. Whether book 48 is definitely the last, I dunno, but it's a good one to go out on...

REVIEW: The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman


I first heard about Philip Pullman, rather unsurprisingly, because of the adaptation of the book Northern Lights as The Golden Compass (the first book of the His Dark Materials trilogy). But not long after that, I also saw in bits and pieces the TV adaptation of the Sally Lockhart mysteries, starring Billie 'Rose Tyler' Piper as Sally Lockhart, and future Doctor Who Matt Smith in the role of Jim Taylor. Thus, when searching around for books to further my horizons, I decided to choose the first Sally Lockhart novel, The Ruby in the Smoke.

Sally Lockhart's father has died. And now this sixteen-year old girl, an independent woman in Victorian times, must live under the roof of a vicious relative, but there were mysteries relating to her father's death that are yet to be cleared up. Heading to her late father's shipping firm, she mentions strange words found on a note her father sent her, 'the Seven Blessings', to an employee, only to have him die of fright. Aided by a photographer and his relatives, an office boy, and a surprisingly pugilistic pastor, Sally Lockhart soon learns that her past is related to the Indian Mutiny, and that what eventuated from it led to murder on the sea. And someone is willing to kill all who stands in their way, for riches untold and ill-gotten gains...

Victoriana, to a certain degree, fascinates me. A number of excellent Doctor Who stories (Evil of the Daleks, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Ghost Light) take place in Victorian times, as did the excellen Doctor Who/Sherlock Holmes crossover novel, All-Consuming Fire. The first Lucifer Box story, The Vesuvius Club, takes place a little later, but still has many trappings. And although The Ruby in the Smoke hasn't got a strong fantasy element, unlike the previous books, it still conveys a strong sense of them.

The characters, for the most part, are fairly interesting. Sally Lockhart is a young woman not of her time, mature and independent, despite her young age of 16. I'd say that there were probably people like that in Victorian times (Esther Summerson from Bleak House is a quieter, more self-deprecating version of what Sally Lockhart is, but both women, for their time, and separated by well over a century of authorship, have an inner strength and conviction that is admirable), but it would be rare to find one like Sally. Not that I am truly complaining, mind. I like the character, although she needs maybe just a few more character flaws.

The characters of Frederick Garland and his family (sister Rosa and helper Trembler), are characterised fairly well, as is cockney office boy Jim Taylor, but the main villain of Mrs Holland seems rather superficial and shallow. Learning about her motivations at least explains this aspect about her, but reading her is basically reading a cardboard villain. Mr Berry is far more interesting, a vicious thug who nonetheless advocates alcohol temperance, and it is a pity that this area isn't developed more. The same goes for the enigmatic Ah Ling.

I think that one of the problems with this book was that it seemed a tad too filled with incident and coincidence, and not a little more intent on exploring Sally Lockhart's problems within society. There is plenty of Sally's troubles being a woman in Victorian London, but I think not quite enough. And I would have thought it better to make the main villain upper-class in some way, rather than the stereotypical drudge of Mrs Holland.

Still, it was an entertaining romp, and I recommend it. It's a solid mystery with a good ending and plenty of thrills. Maybe Pullman's other books will turn out to be good, you never know.


8.5/10

First words: On a cold, fretful afternoon in early October, 1872, a hansom cab drew up outside the offices of Lockhart and Selby, Shipping Agents, in the financial heart of London, and a young girl got out and paid the driver.

Last words: She gathered up letter and box and left for the train.

What will be next? Your guess is as good as mine...

Book 49...

REVIEW: Doctor Who: Spiral Scratch by Gary Russell


Doctor Who didn't end when it was taken off the television screen. From 1991, new stories featuring the Seventh (and at the time, latest) Doctor, in the New Adventures range. Three years later, the Missing Adventures, featuring previous Doctors, debuted. I have read many of them, ranging from the brilliant Sherlock Holmes crossover All-Consuming Fire, to the atmospheric and revelatory Lungbarrow, from the darkly comic The Romance of Crime, to the bizarrely comic Sky Pirates!, from the darkness of Interference, to the vampire epic Goth Opera. Now, I have read one of the last Missing Adventures (or Past Doctor Adventures, as BBC Books insist on calling them after taking the licence away from Virgin Publishing) ever to be published, during the beginning of the new series. It serves as not only the last Sixth Doctor Missing Adventure to be published, but Spiral Scratch is also the last Sixth Doctor adventure, charity publication Time's Champion notwithstanding...

The Sixth Doctor and Mel meet an old Time Lord friend of the Doctor's, Rummas, who is in charge of the gigantic library of Carsus. Problem is, someone is murdering Rummas, and sometimes even the Doctor, in other alternative realities. The Doctor and Mel, in various alternative realities, must contend with the plans of a creature that intends to consume all of time, and all of reality, but how can you stop something so powerful that it can manipulate time and space on a whim, and make people blink out of existence? The cost will be dear, not only to the Doctor in this reality and many others, but also the various incarnations of Melanie Bush...

The Sixth Doctor was something of an acquired taste in the TV show, being a loudmouthed braggart with less dress sense than a colour blind clown, but there were a few gems from Colin Baker's era as the Doctor, and the spin-off media, in the audios and books, have all sought to rectify this, showing what would happen if this form of the Doctor was given time to develop. This story, I will not apologise for spoilers, is the last Sixth Doctor story, the aforementioned Time's Champion notwithstanding. And it is a most excellent finale.

How do you go out with a bang in the finale of a Doctor? In Logopolis and The End of Time, you threaten all creation, and with the villainous Lamprey, we have a very big threat. This is a creature that rivals the similar Chronovores, as the Chronovores are simply amoral, while the Lamprey, or rather, the main villain Lamprey, is completely evil. It manipulates time and people ruthlessly, and its end goal is truly shocking when the implications set in, although the Lamprey villain does come across as being rather one-dimensional.

Many of the other characters are either rather flat, or else uninteresting, but they serve their role in the plot well. The most interesting characters, however, are the Doctor, and Mel, and, to elucidate further, their alternative selves. Mel, as a character, has received a lot of stick for being one-dimensional, being peppy and with a loud scream, and computer programming skills, but this novel does a lot to redeem her. We see various Mels from other realities, including a half-Silurian Mel, and an apathetic Melina from an Earth where Rome never fell. And we find out an extremely traumatic secret about Mel that, when she finds out about it, not only throws her personality into relief, but when she is told about it, has what TV Tropes would call a 'crowning moment of awesome'.

Spiral Scratch would be hard for non-Doctor Who fans to get and read, but if you're a fan and want to read a book that redeems the Sixth Doctor era, this is it. It is epic, albeit in a contained way, and will enthrall you from start to finish.


8.5/10

First words: [i'I need you to go the planet Earth in 1958 and save the universe.'[/i]

Last words: 'Leave the girl. It's the man I want.'

Book 50 is something of a milestone in more ways than one...

REVIEW: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I have to admit, I'm not really one for vampire stories. Sure, I've read them, but mostly those related to Doctor Who, like the novelisations of the stories State of Decay and The Curse of Fenric (the latter being one of my favourite Doctor Who stories) and the original novel Goth Opera. But there is one phenomenon that I have watched on with bemusement, and that is the phenomenon of the Twilight series. After an abortive attempt to read it a couple of years back, I have come back to the divisive first novel.

Isabella 'Bella' Swan finds it hard to fit in at times. Moving in to the Pacific Northwest town of Forks to be with her father, she finds it gloomy and dead. What's worse, starting at a new high school means that she has the unwanted attention of several teenage boys. But shy and clumsy Bella finds it curious that Edward Cullen seems to be repulsed by her very presence. However, after a series of events, Edward seems to warm to her. However, Bella begins to realise that there is more to Edward than first meets the eye. For Edward is a vampire, a dangerous creature indeed. But perhaps more dangerous is the fact that they are falling in love with each other...

I've noticed that those who have read Twilight, or at least those who offer opinions, are either absolute fanatics who want an Edward Cullen or a Bella Swan for themselves, or else sneerily contemptuous and wishing that the whole series, along with the author, Stephanie Meyer, should be killed with fire (I'm exaggerating for comic effect, of course). I have to be honest and say that, upon reading it, I fall into neither camp. High school romances bore me, and even adding vampires into the mix doesn't exactly spice things up. The story would be average, until fridge logic starts kicking in.

For example, Edward Cullen starts acting like a stalker towards Bella, when you think about it. I'm not so sure about whether the control freak angles some people throw out are actually there per se, although their relationship seems to be somewhat masochistic on both sides. Edward even admits as such.

What does this story add to vampire mythology, on the bedrock that was Bram Stoker's Dracula? Well, that vampires can't go out in sunlight not because they burn, but that they sparkle. Most people are frustrated by this, but I am just bemused, although that is probably the one original contribution Stephanie Meyers makes to haemophagic continuity. That, and vampire baseball, which was one of the more interesting set pieces of the book.

I personally think that the subplot of the trio of vampiric hunters (not hunters of vampires, but vampire hunters...let me rephrase that, human hunters who are vampires) came in too late and with even less characterisation than the rest of the book's characters. Less teenage romance and more peril, that's what I say.

I think the main problem is that of characterisation. Bella and Edward, despite the incogruity of the relationship, do have a sense of complexity to them, even if their actual compatability is slightly in question, and Carlisle Cullen and Charles Swan are interesting characters in their own right. But most of the rest of the characters, with the exception of Alice and Esme Cullen, along with Billy and Jacob Black, are uninteresting and flat.

Is Twilight actually bad? I have to say no, but that doesn't mean it is good. It is below average (my average score for books, you might have noticed, is about 7.5/10). It is tedious (I gave up my first reading of it out of boredom about a third of the way through) and soppy. However, it is still a readable book. It's mildly masochistic, rather like Edward and Bella's relationship, but it is nowhere near the pile of excrement that was Atlas Shrugged.


6.5/10

First words: I'd never given much thought to how I would die- though I'd had reason enough in the last few months- but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

Last words: And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat.

Book 51...

REVIEW: Negima! Magister Negi Magi: Volume 1 by Ken Akamatsu


What is it with the Japanese and panty jokes? I mean, one of the important characters in Dragonball is named Bulma, which is a corruption of 'bloomers'. And in many stories involving heavy fanservice or titillation, you have jokes involving panties. If I facepalmed every time I saw a panty joke or shot in Negima, I would be suffering from concussion by now...

Negi Springfield is a Welsh wizard in training. At ten years old, he graduates from a magic academy and, as part of a test, is sent to an all-girl high school in Japan to teach English. Many are delighted with the cute new teacher, but one girl, Asuna, resents Negi for replacing a teacher she had a crush on. While Negi must learn to control his magic and become an authoritative teacher, Asuna learns of his abilities, but will she cause him trouble? You bet!

Negima! is basically what you would get if you combined a genius child version of Harry Potter with a harem comedy like Love Hina, which is not a coincidence, given that Negima! and Love Hina were done by the same person. I have only skimmed through Love Hina, and enjoyed a little of Ken Akamatsu's previous work, A.I Love You.

I have to say, I'm not a fan of Japanese comedy manga and anime, although Dragonball and Azumanga Daioh are major exceptions. And harem comedies just make me shake my head in bemused disbelief, just like farces and some episodes of, say, Fawlty Towers does. The only one that I have enjoyed to any great degree was Ken Fujishima's Oh My Goddess, which is a high art form compared to Negma! This one seems to be built around titillation and precious little storyline, save for Negi's ambition to become a master wizard.

I think that there is something mildly disturbing about the fact that a ten-year old boy (only a year younger than Harry Potter at the start of his own series) is fawned over by so many female students about five years his senior, including at least one example who wants to...well, groom into her boyfriend and lover. And with a few exceptions, the characters are fairly cardboard, with only a few (Negi himself, Asuna, bookworm Nodoka, and Negi's supervising teacher Shizuna) meriting any interest.

That being said, there are quite a few strong points to the series. The concept of a ten-year old teaching English to high school students is both a funny concept and an interesting one, and how he struggles to learn to be a teacher is done quite well if you strip away the titillation. And Asuna, while a bit of a b***h, does have enough of a heart of gold for you to start pining for her.

That being said, if you want something that is deeper than titillation, go read another manga. Negima! is not deep at all, and seems to be just an excuse for panty jokes in a Harry Potter-like setting.


5/10

First words: When I call your name, my sorcerous graduates...

Last words: No, I don't wanna be dodge-ball mascot!

In case anyone's still following this, I am still reading. I am currently reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and Doctor Who: Business Unusual by Gary Russell. I also hope to start on You're Him, Aren't You?, the autobiography of Paul Darrow, and the graphic novel Doctor Who: Oblivion.

Book 52, meh...

REVIEW: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I guess that one of the reasons that I don't usually read that many books written before 1950, and particularly before 1900, is that the language is far from immersive. The language doesn't quite evoke the same response that it would have at the time of its original release. Not to mention not living at the same times as the events that occurred, which is why Heart of Darkness didn't really do much for me...

Charles Marlow accepts a job as the captain of a steam boat in Africa, but finds the job more difficult than he thought. After a long time spent repairing the sunken steam boat, he and his colleagues head up river, to find the enigmatic Kurtz, a rogue ivory collector who has established himself as a god over a local group of natives...

The reason why I first heard about this book was that it was the inspiration for the film Apocalypse Now. I decided to read the source material (I am yet to actually watch the movie) to see if it was any good, but I have to admit, I found it rather hard to read. There is very little plot, and the language and terminology of the time obfuscates the real message.

Heart of Darkness was a commentary, as far as I can make out, on Imperialism. Imperialism, or at least in the form that gave birth to the British Empire, not to mention the other African colonies, Dutch, Portuguese, Belgian, etc that gave birth to the setting of this story, is now more or less dead, or at least camouflaged behind new political doctrines. I guess not living in an overtly Imperialistic society distances myself somewhat from the nature of the story, although it is still there to see.

That being said, I don't really like the story. Too simple, it's more flavour and style and theme over characterisation and substance.



5.5/10

First words: The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest.

Last words: The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky—seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.

This is amazing! Nice blog!

I used to read like crazy when I was 13-18yo, but relapsed for reasons I still don't know lol Dad's a crazy reader too, but he never relapsed lol In my old house (my parents house), we have a whole living room converted into a home library. It is so awesome. I miss it so much.

Actually, I'm reading a book at the moment... not the most exciting book in the world but certainly useful... "A Complete Guide to Asperger Syndrome" by Tony Attwood And I got Dad a copy too

Have it, but never read it...

To anyone still bothering to read this thread, I have finally got Doctor Who: Oblivion and You're Him, Aren't You? from the bookstore. It's a toss-up as to which one I will finish first, but I'll say Doctor Who: Oblivion will be first, as it is a graphic novel. After those, well, I am reading Doctor Who: Business Unusual, not to mention that I have other books to read...

I'm bothering. So's ya know.

Good to hear. Any interest in the books I've reviewed? Any dissenting opinions?

Book 53...

REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Complete Eighth Doctor Strips, Volume 3: Oblivion by Scott Gray, Martin Geraghty, Lee Sullivan, John Ross and Adrian Salmon


Being a Doctor Who fan, I have followed, in the past, the comic strip published in Doctor Who Magazine. I followed many of the Eighth Doctor's adventures with Izzy Sinclair, but missed out on a few vital issues. Eventually, because I became bored with Doctor Who, I gave up on getting the comics. But now that my interest is rekindled, and the Doctor Who comic strips are now available as graphic novels, I decided to buy one. Although I have missed a number of strips beforehand, it was this one, Doctor Who: Oblivion, that I particularly wanted to read...

Travelling through time and space has often been perilous for the Doctor and Izzy, but it has also been fun. But the fun is about to stop. Stranded in a gigantic creature, the Doctor and Izzy encounter an amphibious alien called Destrii, who steals Izzy's body, leaving Izzy in the body of an aquatic alien. And when Destrii gets herself, and Izzy's original body, destroyed, Izzy faces the possibility that she may be trapped as an alien forever. Fighting off a homicidal alien artist in Mexico with the help of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and dealing with an encounter between humans and humanised Daleks seem all in a day's work, but when Izzy is kidnapped and taken to the planet Oblivion, the Doctor must find a way to save her, and finds it in unexpected quarters...

The Eighth Doctor only got one televised story, the 1996 TV movie, and three separate continuities have arisen to fill the gap: the BBC Books New Adventures (or Eighth Doctor Adventures, as they're officially known), the Big Finish audios (which are still going strong), and the comic strip published in Doctor Who Magazine. These continuities are fairly exclusive, but I am probably most familiar with the books first, the comics second, and the Big Finish audios (which I personally consider canon to the TV series) third. But I still like them all to some degree.

Reading these comic strip stories...they make a refreshing stylistic change from manga. The artwork is beautiful, and the stories are basically Doctor Who, but with the budget turned all the way to infinite. But these stories in particular are interesting in that it's about character development from Izzy Sinclair, particularly when she is forced to inhabit the fish-alien body of Destrii. In fact, my particular favourite story of the collection is the single part story Beautiful Freak, which deals with Izzy's reaction to her new body, and the Doctor's heartfelt, but ultimately futile attempts to empathise with her. It is also revealed, at least explicitly, that she is a lesbian, a first for Doctor Who, although the way it is revealed is rather heartbreaking (and heartwarming) when we see her past, and Destrii's.

What of the comic stories? Ophidius was alright, but the highlight was Destrii, a fish-alien obsessed with Earth pop-culture who has a nasty streak. I enjoyed Beautiful Freak very much, as mentioned before. The Way of All Flesh was a good pseudohistorical story with a twist involving the Mexican Day of the Dead and a sadistic artist who is easily one of the most repulsive and yet effective Doctor Who villains. Children of the Revolution was, next to Beautiful Freak, the highlight of the compilation, a sequel to Evil of the Daleks that will tell Doctor Who fans what happened to the humanised Daleks from that story. Me and My Shadow is a fairly decent side-story involving previous associate of the Doctor, Fey Truscott-Sade, a World War II-era female spy, now merged with the Gallifreyan weapon Shayde. Ouroborous...alright, but really a sequel to Ophidius that serves to set up the next story. Oblivion, the last strip in the compilation to feature the Doctor and Izzy, and where Izzy departs, coming to terms with herself. However, there is a final one-part strip, Character Assassin, where, basically, the Master kicks Professor Moriarty's derriere. Yes, you heard me right. It was written because someone got annoyed by the comparison between the two.

At the back of the book is a commentary detailing how and why the comics were created. It is an interesting, if brief, insight into the process of creating a comic, with plenty of concept art.

Is it any good? If you're a Doctor Who fan, then I have to say, yes. There's not much to have if you're not a fan, but it certainly adds to the overall mythos of Doctor Who...



8.5/10

First words: Where does he get all this stuff...?

Last words: Loved that tiger!

Next will probably be You're Him, Aren't You?

Last edited by Quatermass on 24 May 2010, 6:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm not too good at proper summaries, I'd struggle to write your many paragraph-ed reviews. I tend to stick at "...and I thought it was good" without explaining why.

Princess Bride - agreed, and was delighted to realise it was the author of Marathon "call me Janey" Man.

Fight Club - too long since I read it, thought it was pretty good.

Flashman - I'd like to read. I have his Candlemass Road and Steel Bonnets, which are interesting.

On Basilisk Station - mildly enjoyed it the first time round, tried to reread recently, but couldn't; since reading Telemachus Sneezed I'm having bad reactions to anvilicious author tracts... and never mind the treecats. Weber does try a little harder than some of his "military sf" peers, but I'd give him 6/10 at best.

H. P. and the Whatevers - mostly agreed, they picked up after the long drawn-out Order of the Phoenix.

Invisible Man - too long since I read it, didn't think much of it.

Ruby in the Smoke - agreed, I mean, it's cliched and all, but a good romp. I liked the way he gets a Commissionaire into each of the Sally Lockhart books. I used to be one, they're still going (though not exclusively ex-forces these days.)

Twilight - think you're being generous, there. I agree that it's not the appalling horror that it's sometimes described as, but it really isn't a good book. The setting is nothing new, the characters mostly deserve a slow introduction to a blunt stake and the plot is tediously predictable. I'd give it 4/10, and then dock another point for including at least two ear-grating misuses of "of a."

Heart of Darkness - I think I've read it. Which says a lot. No idea why there are so many pastiches.

It was a fairly good yarn. I guess one of the reasons I was able to cope with reading it was that I had sort of read stories on India at that time, like the Doctor Who New Adventure (and Sherlock Holmes crossover) All-Consuming Fire.



I haven't read any of his other books, although I am sure that I will probably give the rest of his books lesser scores. But On Basilisk Station was enjoyable enough, if you look past the, uh, tech-w*** as I call it. The battle sequence at the end, even if I didn't understand half of what was being done, was still thrilling.




I think trying to read at high speed helps make it more bearable. I gave it a higher score than you feel it should have because I thought that it had real potential. Stephanie Meyer just cocked it up. Believe me, you haven't read a bad book until you've read Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand makes Stephanie Meyer look like JK bloody Rowling by comparison...

Melbi is here too

Seems like all the Doctor Who ones get really high score
I don't like Twilight either.... never read the book... but just by watching movies... i don't like it.
Melbi should starts reading again soon...soon after exam... soon soon soon... Melbi should learn to read English books...

So that when Quatermass publish his book, Melbi can fully enjoy it

Well, the novelisations The Edge of Destruction and The Massacre got average scores (7.5 is an average score out of ten for me), but Spiral Scratch and Oblivion did get high scores, for good reason. But amongst the higher scoring books were the first two volumes of Monster by Naoki Urasawa, and the last two volumes of the Harry Potter series. I have to say that some of my favourite books besides those mentioned above (I really, really enjoyed Monster and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) were Making the Cut, House of Cards, West of Eden, The Princess Bride, Flashman, Black Jack, and The Ruby in the Smoke. In terms of genre, that makes one book of surgical anecdotes (Making the Cut), one political thriller (House of Cards), a science fiction novel (West of Eden), a fantasy/postmodern novel (The Princess Bride), a historical comedy (Flashman), a medical drama manga (Black Jack) and a historical mystery (The Ruby in the Smoke).

And in the previous book-reading blog, I really enjoyed Artemis Fowl, Wild Cards, Atomic Robo, Bleak House, and Grendel.