Fatal Revenant by Stephen Donaldson
This book, like all the others in this and the earlier Chronicles, was a difficult and frustrating read. There is now so much history in this world created by the author in seven previous books over thirty years, that there is a need for a lot of explanation that sometimes hinders the story. Also the author’s main characters are so flawed that you just want to throttle them, to shake some sense into them. Only one more book to go in this final trilogy.
‘Linden Avery watches from a balcony while Thomas Covenant and her adopted son, Jeremiah, ride desperately towards Revelstone. But their reunion has vast consequences which she could not have foreseen. Soon she is betrayed by people whom she most needs to trust. Transported deep into the Land’s past, she is forced to confront mysterious strangers, legendary heroes and ancient evils, and to stand alone against the malevolence of the Despiser’s minions.
When she finds herself abandoned in Garroting Deep, the most bloodthirsty of the Land’s long-dead forests, she reaches a fearsome decision; if she is to end the Despiser’s evil and her own son’s suffering, she must reshape reality. For this, she needs to find Loric’s krill, a weapon lost in the Hills of Andelain millennia ago. And she needs the aid of friends and allies who would turn against her if she revealed her intent.’
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Catch the Kiwi...
We managed to catch up with our illusive and shy Kiwi friends on a couple of occasions recently. The first we collared Marc and Heather in London and after a quick circuit of the British Museum we had a meal at a local restaurant with them and Jamie. At that time Heather was just about to present her thesis and we now know she passed without comment and is now a doctor. Now she has the task of finding a ‘real’ job.
A few weeks later we met Heather again, this time when Mary was briefly in London on her way to Paris with work. We had a meal, reminisced, gossiped and looked and photos that Mary had brought with her.
A few weeks later we met Heather again, this time when Mary was briefly in London on her way to Paris with work. We had a meal, reminisced, gossiped and looked and photos that Mary had brought with her.
A Night on the Town...
Sue took me out for a meal for my birthday at a local restaurant, Two to Four, that we had passed many times. The name reflects its address on West Street and didn’t reveal anything about its character, which was cosy and classy at the same time. The older building was lovely restored and decorated to a high finish, the staff attentive but not intrusive. The food was superb, well balanced flavours, beautiful produce, and good portions that were not too large as to discourage additional courses. This is definitely a good place to come for a special treat.
Before we went to the restaurant we met at the Star, probably our favourite pub in Dorking. It is not the cheapest place to drink in but the atmosphere is special and welcoming to all.
Before we went to the restaurant we met at the Star, probably our favourite pub in Dorking. It is not the cheapest place to drink in but the atmosphere is special and welcoming to all.
Under the Surface...
Dorking Heritage Trail
We were quite aware of parts of the local history and we had recently been to a talk about the Dorking Caves. But while we were at the theatre (which doubles as the tourist information centre) we noticed that they were being opened up (once a month – closed for winter) and so we booked a tour that included a guided walk around the town first. We found out some additional information we had not known before and explored some parts of the town we had not seen. The underground tour was also a revelation as these caves exist in the heart of the town hidden away from the bustle behind an unimpressive door in a wall.
We were quite aware of parts of the local history and we had recently been to a talk about the Dorking Caves. But while we were at the theatre (which doubles as the tourist information centre) we noticed that they were being opened up (once a month – closed for winter) and so we booked a tour that included a guided walk around the town first. We found out some additional information we had not known before and explored some parts of the town we had not seen. The underground tour was also a revelation as these caves exist in the heart of the town hidden away from the bustle behind an unimpressive door in a wall.
All Song and Dance...
42nd Street
Dorking Dramatic & Operatic Society put on a large scale musical every year at the Dorking Halls. Last years performance was South Pacific, which was very good, this year it was 42nd Street – not a show we were familiar with so we did not fully appreciate the performance. Next year it is one of my personal favourite musicals – Return to the Forbidden Planet. The DDOS group do other performances throughout the year at a smaller venue behind the halls called the Green Room, which was a temporary structure for Canadian Troops during WWII.
La Cage aux Folles
Sue went on a girl’s night out to see this show and thoroughly enjoyed herself, saying that the guys did a great job including Graham Norton. I have seen the American version on film some time ago and enjoyed that.
‘The idyllic existence of Georges and the dazzling drag artiste Albin, star of the La Cage aux Folles club, is threatened when Georges’ son announces his engagement to the daughter of a right-wing politician, who wants to close down the local colourful nightlife! With a visit from the prospective in-laws imminent, they all decide to take drastic action to hide their lifestyle... but can they keep it up?’
Dorking Dramatic & Operatic Society put on a large scale musical every year at the Dorking Halls. Last years performance was South Pacific, which was very good, this year it was 42nd Street – not a show we were familiar with so we did not fully appreciate the performance. Next year it is one of my personal favourite musicals – Return to the Forbidden Planet. The DDOS group do other performances throughout the year at a smaller venue behind the halls called the Green Room, which was a temporary structure for Canadian Troops during WWII.
La Cage aux Folles
Sue went on a girl’s night out to see this show and thoroughly enjoyed herself, saying that the guys did a great job including Graham Norton. I have seen the American version on film some time ago and enjoyed that.
‘The idyllic existence of Georges and the dazzling drag artiste Albin, star of the La Cage aux Folles club, is threatened when Georges’ son announces his engagement to the daughter of a right-wing politician, who wants to close down the local colourful nightlife! With a visit from the prospective in-laws imminent, they all decide to take drastic action to hide their lifestyle... but can they keep it up?’
Old Folk...
At the Dorking Folk Club
We continue to support our local Folk Club and have seen many an accomplished artist there that we have never heard of before. We are becoming educated to what is almost an underground scene that has existing for some time now after its popularity in the sixties and seventies. Many of these artists have been plying their trade since that time and perfecting their own particular sound, the skill of which is making it all look so simple.
Mick Ryan and Paul Downes
also at
http://www.pauldownes.com/index.html
http://www.mickandpete.co.uk/
'An inspired pairing of two highly respected artists in their own right:
Mick Ryan is well known on the folk scene as a fine singer of traditional and original songs, writing for radio and a series of highly successful folk musicals such as 'A Tollpuddle Man',
'The Voyage' and 'The Navvy's Wife.'
Paul Downes has a rich musical background working with artists such as Phil Beer, Show of Hands and Pete Seeger. A great acoustic guitarist with a dazzling array of styles performed with effortless brilliance and also a wonderful singer of songs.
This talented duo combine a heartfelt and masterly performance of self penned and beautifully arranged material – a rare and memorable treat'
John James
‘One of the most spectacular and entertaining guitarists combined with a warm humour –
`Old Tyme’ gospel, Western swing or classical rags from a true exponent of the art’
We continue to support our local Folk Club and have seen many an accomplished artist there that we have never heard of before. We are becoming educated to what is almost an underground scene that has existing for some time now after its popularity in the sixties and seventies. Many of these artists have been plying their trade since that time and perfecting their own particular sound, the skill of which is making it all look so simple.
Mick Ryan and Paul Downes
also at
http://www.pauldownes.com/index.html
http://www.mickandpete.co.uk/
'An inspired pairing of two highly respected artists in their own right:
Mick Ryan is well known on the folk scene as a fine singer of traditional and original songs, writing for radio and a series of highly successful folk musicals such as 'A Tollpuddle Man',
'The Voyage' and 'The Navvy's Wife.'
Paul Downes has a rich musical background working with artists such as Phil Beer, Show of Hands and Pete Seeger. A great acoustic guitarist with a dazzling array of styles performed with effortless brilliance and also a wonderful singer of songs.
This talented duo combine a heartfelt and masterly performance of self penned and beautifully arranged material – a rare and memorable treat'
John James
‘One of the most spectacular and entertaining guitarists combined with a warm humour –
`Old Tyme’ gospel, Western swing or classical rags from a true exponent of the art’
More of wot I have seen…
Recently we went to see Ray LaMontagne at the Barbican.
This guy is a gravel-throated hero of the Americana/Blues sound. We have seen him before in a much smaller venue with just a bass player. This time his fame has grown and he has come with a full band that allows him to have a bigger sound – occasionally it might be too big as it threatens to drown out his particular vocal sound. A shy and otherwise uncommunicative artist he seems to let his music do the speaking for him, and the songs are full of emotion and passion.
I picked up his latest offer at the gig and found it to be equal to his previous albums with evidence of his experimenting with new ideas and sounds.
Gossip in the Grain by Ray LaMontagne – album review
The support artist for Ray was a young American Korean girl called Priscilla Ahn, who played solo to the packed auditorium and charmed everyone there with her personality and sensitive, sweet songs. I also bought her album and as I do enjoy a good female voice I was entranced with her offering, playing it through twice in a row.
A Good Day by Priscilla Ahn
This guy is a gravel-throated hero of the Americana/Blues sound. We have seen him before in a much smaller venue with just a bass player. This time his fame has grown and he has come with a full band that allows him to have a bigger sound – occasionally it might be too big as it threatens to drown out his particular vocal sound. A shy and otherwise uncommunicative artist he seems to let his music do the speaking for him, and the songs are full of emotion and passion.
I picked up his latest offer at the gig and found it to be equal to his previous albums with evidence of his experimenting with new ideas and sounds.
Gossip in the Grain by Ray LaMontagne – album review
The support artist for Ray was a young American Korean girl called Priscilla Ahn, who played solo to the packed auditorium and charmed everyone there with her personality and sensitive, sweet songs. I also bought her album and as I do enjoy a good female voice I was entranced with her offering, playing it through twice in a row.
A Good Day by Priscilla Ahn
More of wot I have heard…
I received several new CDs for my birthday that I had listed in the Amazon Wish List tool and have not been disappointed by any of them.
Some new Indie beats from bands that are relatively new to me. All of them are great pop sounds with cleaver lyrics and gentle sounds, but Fleet Foxes certainly do have something extra with virtually all tracks being top notch.
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
Scouting For Girls by Scouting For Girls
Peaceful The World Lays Me Down by Noah And The Whale
Compilation albums can give the listener a variety of different sounds that they may not come across otherwise, and I have found that the Late Night Tales series is very exciting with the compiling artists mixing favourites from days gone by with obscurities never heard of before. It often shows the influences and passions of those doing the selecting which is revealing. Nu Cool is a throwback to a time when I was first interested in music and the disco inspired sounds are an indulgence for me. Several of Mark Ronson’s tracks have made it to the mainstream and all of them are clever reinterpretations of songs you know done so well they often eclipse the original.
Late Night Tales compiled by Nouvelle Vague
and
Late Night Tales compiled by Fatboy Slim
Nu Cool - Lounge Grooves & Sassy Beats From Hed Kandi by Various Artists
Version by Mark Ronson
These two albums are both something away from the mainstream which is in it self something to celebrate. Bellowhead are the dance act of the folk scene with pounding rhythms and strong driving beats giving the genre a welcome boost with its energetic and well crafted music. Lambchop are a firm favourite of mine and have taken Country and Americana folk to new levels, sometimes it can be variable but this album is them at there best – truly sublime.
Burlesque by Bellowhead
Ohio by Lambchop
Some new Indie beats from bands that are relatively new to me. All of them are great pop sounds with cleaver lyrics and gentle sounds, but Fleet Foxes certainly do have something extra with virtually all tracks being top notch.
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
Scouting For Girls by Scouting For Girls
Peaceful The World Lays Me Down by Noah And The Whale
Compilation albums can give the listener a variety of different sounds that they may not come across otherwise, and I have found that the Late Night Tales series is very exciting with the compiling artists mixing favourites from days gone by with obscurities never heard of before. It often shows the influences and passions of those doing the selecting which is revealing. Nu Cool is a throwback to a time when I was first interested in music and the disco inspired sounds are an indulgence for me. Several of Mark Ronson’s tracks have made it to the mainstream and all of them are clever reinterpretations of songs you know done so well they often eclipse the original.
Late Night Tales compiled by Nouvelle Vague
and
Late Night Tales compiled by Fatboy Slim
Nu Cool - Lounge Grooves & Sassy Beats From Hed Kandi by Various Artists
Version by Mark Ronson
These two albums are both something away from the mainstream which is in it self something to celebrate. Bellowhead are the dance act of the folk scene with pounding rhythms and strong driving beats giving the genre a welcome boost with its energetic and well crafted music. Lambchop are a firm favourite of mine and have taken Country and Americana folk to new levels, sometimes it can be variable but this album is them at there best – truly sublime.
Burlesque by Bellowhead
Ohio by Lambchop
More of wot I have read…
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
This book had an intriguing premise that was well played out through the story and even managed to keep a few secrets until the end. It had a good degree of suspense and the characters and storyline were well written.
‘One night, when Cynthia Archer was 14 years old, her family disappeared. Now, 25 years later, she’s about to learn what happened to her mother, father brother, and she might be better off never finding out.’
Remembrance Day by Henry Porter
This book is a little ‘boys-own’ in style and suffers from dated technology (it is interesting how much things have changed in such a short time that we take for granted now). It also plays heavily on stereotypes and preconceptions such that some elements of the story become predictable.
‘Constantine Lindow is waiting for his brother Eamonn outside a central London tube station when a bus turns into the street and explodes. The next day Con is arrested as the prime suspect for the bombing.
Con is determined to prove his innocence, but the only way he can do that is to find the real bomber. As he digs deeper, he finds himself confronted by his own brother's secret life - and the cold-blooded killers from his past.The trail leads Lindow halfway across the world and back to London, where he tracks down a killer with a genius for encryption codes. Only Lindow can crack the code. Only Lindow can stop that telephone ringing... ‘
Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This a story based on real events of which I knew nothing about and for that reason alone it would have been an interesting read. But the author also manages to bring a real sense of humanities worst and best extremes that can be exposed in times of trouble. Well worth a read to educate your self about a little known struggle.
‘A masterly, haunting new novel from a writer heralded by The Washington Post Book World as "the 21st-century daughter of Chinua Achebe," Half of a Yellow Sun recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria, and the chilling violence that followed.
With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of the decade. Thirteen-year-old Ugwu is employed as a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal. Olanna is the professor's beautiful mistress, who has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charisma of her new lover. And Richard is a shy young Englishman in thrall to Olanna's twin sister, an enigmatic figure who refuses to belong to anyone. As Nigerian troops advance and they must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, as are their loyalties to one another
.
Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all.’
This book had an intriguing premise that was well played out through the story and even managed to keep a few secrets until the end. It had a good degree of suspense and the characters and storyline were well written.
‘One night, when Cynthia Archer was 14 years old, her family disappeared. Now, 25 years later, she’s about to learn what happened to her mother, father brother, and she might be better off never finding out.’
Remembrance Day by Henry Porter
This book is a little ‘boys-own’ in style and suffers from dated technology (it is interesting how much things have changed in such a short time that we take for granted now). It also plays heavily on stereotypes and preconceptions such that some elements of the story become predictable.
‘Constantine Lindow is waiting for his brother Eamonn outside a central London tube station when a bus turns into the street and explodes. The next day Con is arrested as the prime suspect for the bombing.
Con is determined to prove his innocence, but the only way he can do that is to find the real bomber. As he digs deeper, he finds himself confronted by his own brother's secret life - and the cold-blooded killers from his past.The trail leads Lindow halfway across the world and back to London, where he tracks down a killer with a genius for encryption codes. Only Lindow can crack the code. Only Lindow can stop that telephone ringing... ‘
Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This a story based on real events of which I knew nothing about and for that reason alone it would have been an interesting read. But the author also manages to bring a real sense of humanities worst and best extremes that can be exposed in times of trouble. Well worth a read to educate your self about a little known struggle.
‘A masterly, haunting new novel from a writer heralded by The Washington Post Book World as "the 21st-century daughter of Chinua Achebe," Half of a Yellow Sun recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria, and the chilling violence that followed.
With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of the decade. Thirteen-year-old Ugwu is employed as a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal. Olanna is the professor's beautiful mistress, who has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charisma of her new lover. And Richard is a shy young Englishman in thrall to Olanna's twin sister, an enigmatic figure who refuses to belong to anyone. As Nigerian troops advance and they must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, as are their loyalties to one another
.
Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all.’
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
What have we been doing…
Anniversary
I had a few days leave left to use as Christmas approached and so I took the three days before off, which included our wedding anniversary. Sue treated me to the box set of the 4th series of 24, and so I over dosed on Jack Bower – and felt suitably jumpy afterwards.
Xmas
Christmas was the traditional affair where we ate lots of food and drank more than we should have and enjoyed the company of family and friends
Jamie came to visit and spent a good few days with us, which was very nice. He is doing well and has settled into his new place and new job making many friends and having a good time. As is usual he was spoilt rotten.
New Year
We like to be at home for New Years as it is too much of an expense and a hassle going out. This year we invited a few friends around and we had a Gaming Night, where we played silly games and ate and drank some more.
On New Years day we joined the History Group walk, which was blessed with good weather as we wandered of hill and across dale refreshing ourselves from the excesses of the festive season.
The dreaded ‘W’ word
We have been back to work for a few weeks now and it hardly seems that we have been away, we are both as busy as ever and nothing seems to have changed. We have started making plans for the year as this gives us something to aim for and a reason to carry on.
I had a few days leave left to use as Christmas approached and so I took the three days before off, which included our wedding anniversary. Sue treated me to the box set of the 4th series of 24, and so I over dosed on Jack Bower – and felt suitably jumpy afterwards.
Xmas
Christmas was the traditional affair where we ate lots of food and drank more than we should have and enjoyed the company of family and friends
Jamie came to visit and spent a good few days with us, which was very nice. He is doing well and has settled into his new place and new job making many friends and having a good time. As is usual he was spoilt rotten.
New Year
We like to be at home for New Years as it is too much of an expense and a hassle going out. This year we invited a few friends around and we had a Gaming Night, where we played silly games and ate and drank some more.
On New Years day we joined the History Group walk, which was blessed with good weather as we wandered of hill and across dale refreshing ourselves from the excesses of the festive season.
The dreaded ‘W’ word
We have been back to work for a few weeks now and it hardly seems that we have been away, we are both as busy as ever and nothing seems to have changed. We have started making plans for the year as this gives us something to aim for and a reason to carry on.
On the small screen…
Winter is a time of hibernation and we have been spending ever more time in front of the box.
- Dr Who Special (I am a fan, what can I say)
- The Royal Family at Christmas (cringe-worthy fun)
- Wallace and Grommet – A matter of loaf and death (superb)
- Demons (a new series a kin to a UK Buffy – bad accents though)
- Royal Variety Show (a Christmas staple)
- ER (the last series has just started on Freeview)
- My Name is Earl (one of the best comedies from across the pond)
We have been enjoying
- Apparitions (spooktastic!)
- Heroes (Mark – what’s not to like)
- Brothers and Sisters (Sue – good girly stuff)
- Life (a great new series with another English actor that has made good in the states)
- Dexter (we really shouldn’t like him)
DVDs including
- Mama Mia (a present for Sue)
- The illusionist
- Atonement
- The lady in the water
Various films over Xmas including
- The 39 steps (made for TV adaptation – quite good)
- Kinky Boots (a good laugh)
- Superman Returns (not so good, but very ‘Superman’)
- Dr Who Special (I am a fan, what can I say)
- The Royal Family at Christmas (cringe-worthy fun)
- Wallace and Grommet – A matter of loaf and death (superb)
- Demons (a new series a kin to a UK Buffy – bad accents though)
- Royal Variety Show (a Christmas staple)
- ER (the last series has just started on Freeview)
- My Name is Earl (one of the best comedies from across the pond)
We have been enjoying
- Apparitions (spooktastic!)
- Heroes (Mark – what’s not to like)
- Brothers and Sisters (Sue – good girly stuff)
- Life (a great new series with another English actor that has made good in the states)
- Dexter (we really shouldn’t like him)
DVDs including
- Mama Mia (a present for Sue)
- The illusionist
- Atonement
- The lady in the water
On the silver screen…
It has been a very long time since we last saw a film in a cinema (several years in fact) and we were probably not going to change that any time soon, until friends of ours invited us out.
The day the earth stood still
Probably not the best remake ever, but it was just as well that they selected the alien role for Keanu Reeves.
Yes Man
We went to the movies again with our friends and enjoyed this film much more, silly and slapstick though it was. It was interesting to see the Kiwi actor out of Flight of the Conchords in it too.
The day the earth stood still
Probably not the best remake ever, but it was just as well that they selected the alien role for Keanu Reeves.
Yes Man
We went to the movies again with our friends and enjoyed this film much more, silly and slapstick though it was. It was interesting to see the Kiwi actor out of Flight of the Conchords in it too.
More of wot I have read…
Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks
This was an interesting book and it is clear that the author has spent a lot of time researching his subject, unfortunately some of the extended passages detailing various psychiatric illnesses and treatments were too long, and frankly boring, for my tastes.
‘In the 1870s, two ambitious boys from different backgrounds, Jacques Rebiere and Thomas Midwinter, find themselves united by a determination to understand how the mind works and whether madness is the price we pay for being human.
As pioneering psychiatrists, their quest takes them from an English country lunatic asylum to the plains of Africa, the lecture rooms of Paris and the mountains of Austria and California. They are guided by Thomas’s devoted sister, Sonia, and by an ex-patient, Katharina, whose arrival exposes profound differences between them. As the concerns of the old century fade and the Fist world War divides Europe, the two friends are compelled to a tragic revision of all that they have loved and pursued.’
The Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson
This is the first book in THE LAST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT
It has been many years since I read the first and second trilogies and I remembered how I found the character’s human frailties frustrating. Well the author has continued this with this book and I again find myself almost shouting at the character to ‘get a grip’. Still this conflict of a damaged and worthless person from one world being thrust into another where they are powerful and can’t come to terms with it is what drives the story. It is a difficult read from that point of view, but I hope that is down to me not the author, as I like the basic premise.
‘Since their publication more than twenty years ago, the first six books in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant have sold more than 10 million copies and have been published around the world. Now, with The Runes of the Earth, Donaldson returns to the Land, and the story of Thomas Covenant.
Struck down with a deadly disease, Covenant is abandoned by his wife and son. Alone and despairing, he is drawn into the Land, where the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but cannot - will not - accept this magical world is real. But the Land itself is under threat, and only Covenant has the power to save it.
As Covenant battles to save the world he has come to love, he is killed: his death is both the ultimate sacrifice and his redemption.
Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. It's ten years on, and Dr. Linden Avery had thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, her beloved, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son, and there is more at risk than the life of the boy she adores: Lord Foul is unmaking the very laws of nature and if he is not stopped, he could destroy everything.
And though Linden believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending her messages: 'Find me', and 'You're the only one who can do this', and 'Remember that I'm dead'.
The Land is in turmoil, and Lord Foul has plans for them all...’
This was an interesting book and it is clear that the author has spent a lot of time researching his subject, unfortunately some of the extended passages detailing various psychiatric illnesses and treatments were too long, and frankly boring, for my tastes.
‘In the 1870s, two ambitious boys from different backgrounds, Jacques Rebiere and Thomas Midwinter, find themselves united by a determination to understand how the mind works and whether madness is the price we pay for being human.
As pioneering psychiatrists, their quest takes them from an English country lunatic asylum to the plains of Africa, the lecture rooms of Paris and the mountains of Austria and California. They are guided by Thomas’s devoted sister, Sonia, and by an ex-patient, Katharina, whose arrival exposes profound differences between them. As the concerns of the old century fade and the Fist world War divides Europe, the two friends are compelled to a tragic revision of all that they have loved and pursued.’
The Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson
This is the first book in THE LAST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT
It has been many years since I read the first and second trilogies and I remembered how I found the character’s human frailties frustrating. Well the author has continued this with this book and I again find myself almost shouting at the character to ‘get a grip’. Still this conflict of a damaged and worthless person from one world being thrust into another where they are powerful and can’t come to terms with it is what drives the story. It is a difficult read from that point of view, but I hope that is down to me not the author, as I like the basic premise.
‘Since their publication more than twenty years ago, the first six books in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant have sold more than 10 million copies and have been published around the world. Now, with The Runes of the Earth, Donaldson returns to the Land, and the story of Thomas Covenant.
Struck down with a deadly disease, Covenant is abandoned by his wife and son. Alone and despairing, he is drawn into the Land, where the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but cannot - will not - accept this magical world is real. But the Land itself is under threat, and only Covenant has the power to save it.
As Covenant battles to save the world he has come to love, he is killed: his death is both the ultimate sacrifice and his redemption.
Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. It's ten years on, and Dr. Linden Avery had thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, her beloved, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son, and there is more at risk than the life of the boy she adores: Lord Foul is unmaking the very laws of nature and if he is not stopped, he could destroy everything.
And though Linden believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending her messages: 'Find me', and 'You're the only one who can do this', and 'Remember that I'm dead'.
The Land is in turmoil, and Lord Foul has plans for them all...’
Remembrance Day…
On Tuesday 11th November we went to A Remembrance Day Special talk at the Westcott History Group.
The speaker was Andrew Tatham, who explained how a photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment, taken on Salisbury Plain in July 1915, prompted a research project that focused on the First World War and those who fought in it.
He has a website called http://www.groupphoto.co.uk/ where he details what he has been doing and some of the information he has found out.
‘I have a group photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment taken at their training camp on Salisbury Plain in July 1915. My aim when I started was to explore who those officers were - where they had come from, what happened to them, and what their families are doing now. So often wars are seen in isolation from the rest of history - well, I want to put the First World War in the context of the stories of these men and their families. One way that I have explored this is in the production of an Animated Film that shows all of their family trees growing over 136 years, mixed in with photos of their families and historical time markers, with contemporary music, and with the cycles of the moon and the seasons.
Andrew Tatham’
It was a very interesting and moving story that kept us entertained and made us think.
The speaker was Andrew Tatham, who explained how a photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment, taken on Salisbury Plain in July 1915, prompted a research project that focused on the First World War and those who fought in it.
He has a website called http://www.groupphoto.co.uk/ where he details what he has been doing and some of the information he has found out.
‘I have a group photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment taken at their training camp on Salisbury Plain in July 1915. My aim when I started was to explore who those officers were - where they had come from, what happened to them, and what their families are doing now. So often wars are seen in isolation from the rest of history - well, I want to put the First World War in the context of the stories of these men and their families. One way that I have explored this is in the production of an Animated Film that shows all of their family trees growing over 136 years, mixed in with photos of their families and historical time markers, with contemporary music, and with the cycles of the moon and the seasons.
Andrew Tatham’
It was a very interesting and moving story that kept us entertained and made us think.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
More of wot I have heard…
We have returned to the Dorking Folk Club and saw a couple of very good acts that came out of the 60’s and 70’s resurgence of folk and are still around to entertain us.
Bob Fox & Stu Luckel
‘One of the most innovative and highly acclaimed collaborations ever seen on the folk scene have just re-formed for a very special October tour to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the release of their highly innovative and widely acclaimed album: "Nowt So Good'll Pass".’
Dave Burland
‘The controlled dynamism of stunning guitar playing with rich, gentle songs has proved his mastery for over 30 years. Blues, rock and roll and folk combine to make him an all-time hero of many professional folk artists.’
Bob Fox & Stu Luckel
‘One of the most innovative and highly acclaimed collaborations ever seen on the folk scene have just re-formed for a very special October tour to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the release of their highly innovative and widely acclaimed album: "Nowt So Good'll Pass".’
Dave Burland
‘The controlled dynamism of stunning guitar playing with rich, gentle songs has proved his mastery for over 30 years. Blues, rock and roll and folk combine to make him an all-time hero of many professional folk artists.’
More of wot I have seen…
Spamalot
Although we had seats so high up in the gods that other people seated near by were suffering from vertigo, we still had a great time throughout all of this performance. I was totally absorbed with all of the various Monty Python references, and even though she was not a obsessive fan as I am, Sue also enjoyed the humour and spectacle.
Dead Set
This TV mini series came and went quietly in the night without too much fuss, but when we watched it we found it a very good example of its genre. We are not horror enthusiasts (in fact Sue jumps at her own shadow) but we managed to make our way through the series (all be it with a heightened pulse rate and a slight hand tremor). The way it was shot helped with the horror as quick and shaky cameras, or fleeting and fast moving action implied more than it revealed and allowed the viewers imagination to do most of the work. References to the Big Brother show and the use of the set, presenter and some previous inmates added an extra dimension to the story.
Calendar Girls
We recently went to see this stage show version of the true life story of the Alternative WI Calendar of the nude pictures of 11 mature women. The show is currently making the rounds of provincial theatres before it transfers to the West End, and we went to see it in High Wycombe. We went with a group of friends, one of whom is a close friend of Linda Bellingham, one of the actresses in the show. And afterwards we went backstage to meet her and some of the other cast members. It was a very well written and acted show with a good set. The subject matter was close to the hearts of all of us there who had lost someone dear to us recently and we all shed a tear or two in amongst the many moments of laughter.
Although we had seats so high up in the gods that other people seated near by were suffering from vertigo, we still had a great time throughout all of this performance. I was totally absorbed with all of the various Monty Python references, and even though she was not a obsessive fan as I am, Sue also enjoyed the humour and spectacle.
Dead Set
This TV mini series came and went quietly in the night without too much fuss, but when we watched it we found it a very good example of its genre. We are not horror enthusiasts (in fact Sue jumps at her own shadow) but we managed to make our way through the series (all be it with a heightened pulse rate and a slight hand tremor). The way it was shot helped with the horror as quick and shaky cameras, or fleeting and fast moving action implied more than it revealed and allowed the viewers imagination to do most of the work. References to the Big Brother show and the use of the set, presenter and some previous inmates added an extra dimension to the story.
Calendar Girls
We recently went to see this stage show version of the true life story of the Alternative WI Calendar of the nude pictures of 11 mature women. The show is currently making the rounds of provincial theatres before it transfers to the West End, and we went to see it in High Wycombe. We went with a group of friends, one of whom is a close friend of Linda Bellingham, one of the actresses in the show. And afterwards we went backstage to meet her and some of the other cast members. It was a very well written and acted show with a good set. The subject matter was close to the hearts of all of us there who had lost someone dear to us recently and we all shed a tear or two in amongst the many moments of laughter.
More of wot I have read…
High Society by Ben Elton
I enjoyed this book and have found the author’s style of writing has changed over time so that he approaches this subject with some sensitivity and sophistication perhaps not apparent in all of his previous works.
‘The war on drugs has been lost. The simple fact is that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and royal princes to crack whores and street kids, from the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.
High Society is a story about Britain today, a criminal nation in which everybody is either breaking the law or knows people who do. It takes the reader on a hilarious, heartbreaking and terrifying journey through the kaleidoscope world that the law has created and from which the law.’
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
This is an odd but strangely captivating story with some interesting, if outlandish, characters and storyline.
‘On New Year’s Eve, four strangers make their way to the rooftop of a London apartment building called Toppers’ House. Their goal, however, is not celebration but obliteration. For various reasons, each one has decided that the time has come to put an end to his or her life. As they inadvertently meet and begin to share their stories, they find themselves citizens of a sort of independent state, where street-level laws no longer apply. And gradually, very gradually, they help one another to discover reasons to live, at least for the time being.
Hornby tells his story through the alternating, idiosyncratic voices of his four main characters. There is Maureen, the mousy, fifty-something mother of a mentally and physically incapacitated son, who has done little but care for him for the past twenty years; Martin, a disgraced former TV morning show host and ex-con; Jess, an obnoxious and explosive teenager; and JJ, the lone American in the bunch, an aspiring rock star.’
The Client by John Grisham
Another enjoyable read even though I am not necessarily a fan of the genre. The plucky young boy as the main character is interesting and the author’s obvious knowledge of criminal law makes for a good read.
‘A US state senator is dead, and a young boy is told the name of the killer - a mafia hitman, Danny "The Blade" Muldano - by Muldano's lawyer. After the lawyer's suicide, Muldano and the boy are the only people who know the killer's identity.
By the author of The Firm and The Pelican Brief.’
I enjoyed this book and have found the author’s style of writing has changed over time so that he approaches this subject with some sensitivity and sophistication perhaps not apparent in all of his previous works.
‘The war on drugs has been lost. The simple fact is that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and royal princes to crack whores and street kids, from the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.
High Society is a story about Britain today, a criminal nation in which everybody is either breaking the law or knows people who do. It takes the reader on a hilarious, heartbreaking and terrifying journey through the kaleidoscope world that the law has created and from which the law.’
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
This is an odd but strangely captivating story with some interesting, if outlandish, characters and storyline.
‘On New Year’s Eve, four strangers make their way to the rooftop of a London apartment building called Toppers’ House. Their goal, however, is not celebration but obliteration. For various reasons, each one has decided that the time has come to put an end to his or her life. As they inadvertently meet and begin to share their stories, they find themselves citizens of a sort of independent state, where street-level laws no longer apply. And gradually, very gradually, they help one another to discover reasons to live, at least for the time being.
Hornby tells his story through the alternating, idiosyncratic voices of his four main characters. There is Maureen, the mousy, fifty-something mother of a mentally and physically incapacitated son, who has done little but care for him for the past twenty years; Martin, a disgraced former TV morning show host and ex-con; Jess, an obnoxious and explosive teenager; and JJ, the lone American in the bunch, an aspiring rock star.’
The Client by John Grisham
Another enjoyable read even though I am not necessarily a fan of the genre. The plucky young boy as the main character is interesting and the author’s obvious knowledge of criminal law makes for a good read.
‘A US state senator is dead, and a young boy is told the name of the killer - a mafia hitman, Danny "The Blade" Muldano - by Muldano's lawyer. After the lawyer's suicide, Muldano and the boy are the only people who know the killer's identity.
By the author of The Firm and The Pelican Brief.’
Monday, September 08, 2008
The need for speed…
Our company co-hosted a corporate event with one of our customers at the Brands Hatch racing track where the MG Car Club was having a club day. We had a suite of our own with food and drinks laid on and a view of the whole circuit before us. Each race had it’s drama with many a crash and spin off that although looking quite frightening luckily didn’t seem to result in any injuries (other than dented pride and wounded wallets). We were also able to walk around where the competitors had their cars arranged and could watch as they tweaked and tuned them as they tried to get the last drop of performance out of them. The majority of the cars were naturally MGs, the earliest seemed to be a 1940’s MG TC and the latest a group of MG Z hatchbacks. There were also many other marquees there, including Triumph, Jaguar Austin-Healey and number of TVRs
Although I am not much of a petrol head it was still quite and interesting day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
Although I am not much of a petrol head it was still quite and interesting day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
Green fingered success…
When we moved to the village we joined a few clubs so that we could meet people and integrate better into the community, through the local Gardener’s Club we were encouraged to have a go at entering something into their competition. We are still struggling to improve the ground at our allotment so that it will be better for growing vegetables and the wet weather has caused many problems for them and the flowers in our garden that we were not sure we would have anything to enter. But we managed to get together enough for half a dozen entries and we even had some minor success with a first and two thirds for the fruit and vegetables. We made some mistakes with our flower entries but our fern in a pot was the only one entered in that category and so was placed.
It seems there are few regulars who do well every year and the awards were split between a small number of exhibiters, still we offered some support and encouraging words so we might try again in the spring.
It seems there are few regulars who do well every year and the awards were split between a small number of exhibiters, still we offered some support and encouraging words so we might try again in the spring.
Wave your arms like you just don’t care…
A few of the ‘boys’ got together a while ago with the intention of having a games night and we ended up playing Olympic Games and other sports on the Wii games console to much amusement.
It was so much fun that we decided to run a rematch and invite the girls along too. This time we held it our place and Sue made a one-pot meal for everyone that we enjoyed to excess. So while we waited for the food to settle we had a quick Movie game that used a DVD of film clips for some of the questions. We then cleared a space for the Wii events and tried our collective hands at several Olympic track and field games before trying other sports such as tennis, bowling and most hilariously boxing. After that we had a few goes at the Brain Trainer and called it a night.
I think the sales of the console may be set to increase come Christmas.
It was so much fun that we decided to run a rematch and invite the girls along too. This time we held it our place and Sue made a one-pot meal for everyone that we enjoyed to excess. So while we waited for the food to settle we had a quick Movie game that used a DVD of film clips for some of the questions. We then cleared a space for the Wii events and tried our collective hands at several Olympic track and field games before trying other sports such as tennis, bowling and most hilariously boxing. After that we had a few goes at the Brain Trainer and called it a night.
I think the sales of the console may be set to increase come Christmas.
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