Thursday, May 31, 2007
Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
After reading Hoban's The Bat Tattoo, and hearing good things about Riddley Walker, I had high hopes for this book. I wasn't disappointed - it was an interesting & absorbing read.
The story is set in Kent, a few centuries into the future, among the survivors of a terrible war. Reading & writing skills are treasured by a select few, but for the most part stories & histories are oral, shared, embroidered, evolving as new mythologies. The narrative is written phonetically by Riddley, in his own dialect. And that works very well - just like in Trainspotting where you hear the voice in your head. He tells of his society, rife with inequality and superstitions, and refers in passing to the history and events that have led to his situation.
Russell Hoban has an amazing imagination, and a gift for sharing it.
After reading Hoban's The Bat Tattoo, and hearing good things about Riddley Walker, I had high hopes for this book. I wasn't disappointed - it was an interesting & absorbing read.
The story is set in Kent, a few centuries into the future, among the survivors of a terrible war. Reading & writing skills are treasured by a select few, but for the most part stories & histories are oral, shared, embroidered, evolving as new mythologies. The narrative is written phonetically by Riddley, in his own dialect. And that works very well - just like in Trainspotting where you hear the voice in your head. He tells of his society, rife with inequality and superstitions, and refers in passing to the history and events that have led to his situation.
Russell Hoban has an amazing imagination, and a gift for sharing it.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Bat Tattoo by Russell Hoban
This was an extraordinary book, a beautifully written love story peopled by real characters, honest, mature and thoroughly readable.
"Is that all there is?" is the question the characters are all seeking to answer. All are looking for a way out of their own personal Babylon. Written in the first person, but by three different narrators, each chapter is embellished by the distinctive voice of the teller and their preoccupations as they make excursions into meditations on art, history and identity.
Funny, moving and thoughtful. Highly recommemded - and for me, I think, the beginning of an exploration of Hoban's other novels. I'm amazed he has been writing for such a long time and I haven't come across any of his work before.
This was an extraordinary book, a beautifully written love story peopled by real characters, honest, mature and thoroughly readable.
"Is that all there is?" is the question the characters are all seeking to answer. All are looking for a way out of their own personal Babylon. Written in the first person, but by three different narrators, each chapter is embellished by the distinctive voice of the teller and their preoccupations as they make excursions into meditations on art, history and identity.
Funny, moving and thoughtful. Highly recommemded - and for me, I think, the beginning of an exploration of Hoban's other novels. I'm amazed he has been writing for such a long time and I haven't come across any of his work before.
Monday, May 14, 2007
