Audible Review ~ The Monster Collection

My thanks to Midas and Audible.co.uk for my listening copy of The Monster Collection

Written by: Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, Maria Mellins, Peter Howell

Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Dan Stevens, Greg Wise, Rachel Atkins

Length: 30 hrs and 24 mins 

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:24/10/2017

Publisher: Audible Studios

These stories need no introduction as I am sure that everyone is aware of the continuing and timeless fascination for this trio of classic stories.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is narrated by Richard Armitage

Frankenstein is narrated by Dan Stevens 

Dracula is narrated by Greg Wise

All the narrators have their own unique way of telling the story and I found, in listening, whole new aspects of the stories which I had previously not registered or had forgotten entirely. That the stories remain spookily credible in today's modern world is testament to the absolute strength of the original, which never need any embellishment to make them as fresh and as compelling as the day on which they were written.

The length of the audible narration, over 30 hours, needs a level of commitment, but I also think that these are amongst the best sort of stories for listening to in snippets rather than in whole great chunks as that way the individuality of the stories can be savoured and enjoyed rather like vintage wine,

My favourite has always been Dracula and Greg Wise does a superb job of bringing this fascinating story to life. There's a subtle blend of suspense mingled with the classic story telling tradition of dark tales told around a flickering fireside, and as always, Bram Stoker's classic really comes alive in the imagination. 

The Gothic elements of all three novels are timeless and sit within the imagination really well and if you haven't time to read all three novels then listening to The Monster Collection would make an ideal accompaniment to a long journey. 

You can find the Audible edition of The Monster Collection by clicking here 

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Hist Fic Saturday ~ Bleak House by Charles Dickens

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to Victorian London 

A cloth bound classic
Penguin Classic
2011

Over summer I have listened to Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Just listening to a snippet here and there it’s taken me a while to get through it. However, it's my favourite Dickens novel and so well worth taking my time over. Whilst I have read it and watched the excellent BBC TV adaptation I have never listened to the story before, luckily, thanks to Librivox, I was fortunate to find a recording of Bleak House, narrated by the excellent, Mil Nicholson, who reads the story with fine attention to detail, and such skill with character definition that it brings a whole new dimension to the story. 

I am sure that everyone knows what Bleak House is all about, but in a nutshell, it's complicated story about a legal dispute involving Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which has been prominent in the London court of Chancery for many years. Along with the story of Ada Clare and Richard Carson, who are the latest wards in Jarndyce, it is also the story of Esther Summerson and of her connection to the enigmatic, Lady Honoria Deadlock. All these characters are bound together in such a perverse and complicated way that it takes Dickens well over a thousand pages to untangle the plot.

That the plot is eventually untangled is tantamount to Dickens unique ability to weave together the most ambitious of story lines.The great and the good of Victorian London are laid bare; none escape Dickens vitriolic observation or his sardonic wit, and as always, he combines good and evil, happy and sad, and mingles all together with a good old dollop of wonderful storytelling. 

The dark and seedy world of London society comes gloriously to life with all the finely drawn characteristics which are so reminiscent of this author's very special way with words.

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Biography source : Goodreads

You can find out more about Charles Dickens by clicking here

Find out more about Librivox by clicking here

You can read Bleak House for free by going to Project Gutenberg by clicking here

“There were two classes of charitable people: one, the people who did a little and made a great deal of noise; the other, the people who did a great deal and made no noise at all.” 

― Charles Dickens, Bleak House

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First Remembered Read ~ Classic

Those of us who read, and who are influenced by books, tend to squirrel away our memories of all the stories we have read over the years. 

And yet, there is always that one special book tucked away in the far corner of your mind which reminds you just why you love reading so much…

During July and August I've invited a few friends to share their First Remembered Read

My First Remembered ~ Classic

I'm thrilled to welcome


John R. McKay, author of  Mosquitoes

My first classic - The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger.

I first read The Catcher In The Rye when I was at high school in the early 1980s having had it recommended to me by a friend. When I heard that John Lennon’s killer had been holding a copy of the book when he murdered the ex-Beatle, I was intrigued to know what it was all about.

The book is written from the viewpoint of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy in 1950s America as he comes to terms with life after being expelled from school. Unable to face his parents he heads for New York City where his immaturity, naivety and sometimes juvenile behaviour eventually land him in a psychiatric ward.

The style of writing left a big impression upon me as it was a technique I had never come across before and have rarely seen since. Although the plot is nothing special, Holden’s thoughts and sometimes comical way at looking at life keep the pages turning, and although he is a very flawed character, and probably not somebody, if real, you would want to spend any length of time with, you still find yourself rooting for him.

The way in which Salinger develops Holden’s character and the often frank viewpoints he expresses, directly influenced my own character, ‘Alex Sumner’, in my novel ‘Mosquitoes’.

I have since read the book a number of times and each time I do, I get something new from it. Although it is sometimes a sad tale, as you observe the decline of his mental state, it is also uplifting in many ways, as Holden tries to cling on to his childhood innocence whilst at the same time attempting to appear mature and grown-up.

Having first read the book at around the same age as Holden Caulfield was, it had a big impression upon me at the time and I still have a large fondness for it. With the passage of time, some of the vernacular may now be a little dated. However, it still remains timeless and a classic of its age, and I have no doubt I will re-visit it once again in the near future.

Linda Green, Book Blogger at Books of All Kinds

My First Classic - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The first classic that I had the pleasure to read was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen when I was the tender age of eleven. I always enjoyed reading and had read a few books here and there up to that point but it was this book that really kick-started my love affair with books and especially classics. Finding a copy of it at home which was probably left by my older sister, I remember curling up to read it and not putting it back down for hours. The richness of the language was new to me but instead of putting me off, it drew me in until I was a part of the story, dancing with the Bennets, or gazing up at the magnificence of Pemberley. The characters, the settings, the time period, all combined to create such a special reading experience for me that Pride and Prejudice is still one of the few books that I re-read every year. 

This classic also began my love for Jane Austen as well as classics in general - I even centred my dissertation at University on the beloved author. 

At the last count I have five different editions of Pride and Prejudice itself, another fifteen varying editions of Jane Austen’s other novels, and around one hundred classics in general, and I am certain that I became a bookworm the day I picked up Pride and Prejudice as a young girl. 

Thank you so much for having me and I really love your new feature!

Huge thanks to John and Linda for sharing the memories

 of their First Classic Read with me today.


Next week : My First Shakespeare

Review ~ The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling

Alma Books

2016

A bit of blurb..

The adventures of Mowgli, the young man raised by wolves in the jungles of Central India, and his friends Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther and Kaa the python, as they face the arch villain Shere Khan the tiger, have become so popular that they have achieved an almost mythical status throughout the world. They were collected by Kipling in The Jungle Book and its sequel, The Second Jungle Book, which also contain other stories set in India which prominently feature animals, such as the well-known ‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi’, which describes the struggles of a mongoose against venomous cobras.

Here presented with brand-new illustrations by Ian Beck, these hugely popular tales, inspired by ancient fables and Kipling’s own experiences in India, form a vivid account of the relationship between humans and nature, and will continue to inspire readers young and old.

Age range 12+ to adult...

Here are my thoughts..

It's always a treat when a lovely book like The Jungle Books pops through the letterbox, which then takes me, instantly, back to when I was a child. Back to days of endless sunshine, summer holidays stretching before me and the possibility of sitting in the long grass with a book and a chocolate biscuit. I read The Jungle Books when I was about eleven or twelve, but before that I had often listened to the some of the stories read to me by my mother, or by my teacher at school and I loved the stories so much, that when I was able to buy my own copy, I did.

Of course, we've all seen the Walt Disney version of The Jungle Book which is based on Rudyard Kipling's First and Second Jungle Books and yet, inside, the story is so much more. There are tales of great adventure and derring-do, stories that remind us to be kind to one another and stories which make you smile and which also make you ask questions. 

The Jungle Books were first published in 1894, and have been reissued many times. This new version by Alma Classics is an easy to read paperback, which, contains the first jungle book and also its sequel, which, together with beautifully simple drawings, is a real joy to read. From the very beginning Kipling's rich prose and poetry draws you into the heat of the jungle, to the danger lurking in corners, and to all the myriad sights, sounds,colours and legends of this amazing landscape. 

I especially liked the extra material for young readers which goes into some detail about the author, the books and the characters, along with a wonderful informative glossary.

Best Read With...A bottle of ice cold, fizzy lemonade and a Blue Riband biscuit...

About the Author

Famous for his tales of adventure in British India, Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) is one of the most popular writers of all time and the first English-speaking recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

About the Illustrator

Ian Beck is an author and illustrator known for his beautifully illustrated books which include his young fiction series, 'Tom Trueheart' (translated into over seventeen languages), and numerous picture books including The Teddy Robber and Lost in the Snow. He has also collaborated with authors including Bertie Doherty and Philip Pullman on classic fairytales retellings and continues to write and illustrate picture books and titles for young readers.

Amazon UK

My thanks to Alma Books for my copy of The Jungle Books

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Review ~ The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily by Dino Buzzati

Alma Books
May 2016

Translated by Frances Lobb

Starving after a harsh winter, the bears descend from the mountains in search of food and invade the valley below, where they face fierce opposition from the army of the Grand Duke of Sicily. After many battles, scrapes and dangers, the bears’ reign is established over the land, but their victory comes at a price.

First published in Italian in 1945, this book has been recently reissued with a glorious cover, which seeks to reintroduce the story of The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily to a modern day readership. However, inside the book,  the story remains gloriously alive with Buzzati's original 1940s artwork, both in colour and black and white, which is quite stunning and very evocative of the era in which the book was published. The story was been beautifully translated into English in 1947 by Frances Lobb and there is a poignant letter from Dino Buzzati to Frances Lobb, dated December 1947 in which he says "Brava! Bravissima!" for her wonderful translation of his story, and I so agree with this sentiment.

I'm not going to tell you the story of the Bears of Sicily, as this book is best read in its entirety without spoilers from me, but what I will say is that from the moment you open the book, you begin to realise what a special book you hold in your hands. The words flow well, and interspersed with prose and verse what emerges is a story of true bravery in the face of cruel adversity. There are moments of violence and some younger readers may be put off by that, but probably no worse than they would find in modern day children's stories, and I suppose it's readership is aimed at maybe ten, eleven, twelve year olds who can immerse themselves in a story without adult interference. At the end of the book there's an extensive reader's companion by Lemony Snicket which is nicely informative and which offers a wonderful additional insight to the story.

The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily sits very comfortably as an ideal parent/child  'read it together at bed-time' sort of book. 

Best Read with...A Buzzati cocktail, spicy with ginger and a few roasted chestnuts...

About the Author

The novelist, journalist and painter Dino Buzzati is one of the most important voices of twentieth-century Italian literature. He is best remembered today for his novel The Tartar Steppe and the story The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily, which he illustrated himself and has become a classic of Italian children’s literature.

About the Translator

Frances Lobb was the pen name of Leila Buckley (1917-2013), a linguist, poet and scholar who was educated in France, Germany and Italy. During the Second World War she worked in the Political Intelligence Department of the Foreign Office. Her other translations include poetry,politics, and philosophy and a number of children's books by Karl Bruckner and Michael Ende. She was also the author of three highly individual novels.

My thanks to Alma Books for my delightful copy of this classic children's story book

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Book Beginnings on Fridays...

Hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader

Book Beginnings on Fridays as stated by the host was started:

"to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires."

You can share on Google + and social media , please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings and there's also a Mr Linky on the host's blog.

Book Beginnings: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens




Stave 1

Marley's Ghost

Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon'Change' for anything he chose to put his hand to.

This book doesn't really need any more introduction from me.It's one of my all time favourite Christmas stories and my Christmas is complete until I have read it.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas

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Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary...

Pride and Prejudice 

by

Jane Austen

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

...so begins Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its publication.


Pride and Prejudice has got to be my favourite Jane Austen - I've lost count of the amount of times I've read the book, watched too many film versions, viewed copious TV dramas....

....but ultimately there is only one Fitzwilliam Darcy...

BBC

Pride and Prejudice was Jane Austen's second published novel. The copyright of the novel was sold to publisher Thomas Egerton of Whitehall for £110. The first edition of the book was published on the 27th January 1813 and was priced at 18 shillings and promptly sold out ,with a second edition publication run in November of the same year, the third edition was published in 1817. Since then the book has gone on to sell over 20 million copies world wide and is regularly listed as one of the most popular novels in English literature.