The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Rating: 5/10

Published: 1894-1895
Number of pages: 383

Started: 16 June 2008
Finished: 3 July 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
A naked baby is abandoned deep in the jungle and is taken in by a she-wolf to be raised as one of her own. Soon Mowgli the man-cub becomes a wise and feared hunter, learning the Law of the jungle from Baloo the bear, and the skills of the hunt from mighty Bagheera, the black panther, and Kaa, the stealthy rock python.

At once an outsider in these wilds and a unique bridge between the species that inhabit them, Mowgli evolves in the shadow of a dramatic mortal encounter that is fated to take place between himself and Shere Khan, the man-eating Bengal tiger under whose fiery gaze the whole jungle trembles with fear.

The characters and stories that comprise Kipling's Jungle Books are a microcosm of life as he saw it, but like most great literature, Kipling's words speak to us on many levels, blending fantasy and philosophy in a work that continues to delight generation after generation of adults and children alike.

Comments:
For a book of children's stories, The Jungle Book certainly took me a long time to read! I can't quite put my finger on what was wrong with the stories; perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for them. The style of writing was OK but there was nothing exceptional or even slightly above average that pulled me into the stories and made me want to pick up the book at every available opportunity. I didn't really enjoy the poems that began and ended every story, either.

The stories in both Jungle Books focus on different animals (not all from the jungle), which was interesting, and some of the characters, such as Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo and Kaa appeared in multiple stories.

There's not much else to add, I'm afraid. I highly doubt I'll ever read it again. It was a bit of a slog and I was glad to be done with it!

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Rating: 10/10

Published: 1818
Number of pages: 279

Started: 23 May 2008
Finished: 2 June 2008



Summary (taken from blurb):
Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the secret of resurrecting the dead. But when he makes a new 'man' out of plundered corpses, his hideous creation fills him with disgust.

Rejected by all humanity, the creature sets out to destroy Frankenstein and everyone he loves. And as the monster gets ever closer to his maker, hunter becomes prey in a lethal chase that carries them to the very end of the earth.

Comments (possible spoilers):
I loved this book. It took me a while to get into it (through no fault of the book's), but once I did I thought it was a terrific read, and not at all what I had expected. I thought the story would dwell a lot more on the creation of the monster itself, but in fact it was more concerned with the consequences of Frankenstein's actions.
Speaking of which, Victor's actions often baffled me (for example, when he turned his back on the monster without trying to find out where he went and without considering what he might have unleashed on the world).

I saw a theatre production of The Phantom of the Opera a few nights ago and I couldn't help but make comparisons between the Phantom and Frankenstein's monster. Both are shunned by the people who created them, and by society as a whole, through no fault of their own. They yearn to be loved by good people but ultimately their unhappiness consumes them and they turn to a life of violence in the misguided hope of getting what they want. I found it interesting that the people who rejected them were good people, but they ultimately suffered greatly because they were unable or unwilling to look beyond the surface of what they were faced with.

They are both truly tragic tales and I found them to be really heart-rending. Some of what Frankenstein's monster said really struck a chord with me, and I sympathsised with him a great deal (well, until he became violent). Very, very highly recommended.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 8/10

Published: 1999
Number of pages: 372

Started: 20 February 2008
Finished: 25 February 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
Under the streets of London there's a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Richard Mayhew, a young businessman, is going to find out more than enough about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his workday existence and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and utterly bizarre. And a strange destiny awaits him down here, beneath his native city: neverwhere.

Comments:
A very light and enjoyable read, full of vivid and unique characters. The world underneath London is nicely portrayed and bears striking similarities to London Above. It loses points for the way in which Gaiman describes the characters in the exact same way time after time (for example, Door's eyes). For the life of me I cannot think of anything else to write, except to repeat that it was very enjoyable, and that I'll be seeking out more Neil Gaiman in the future.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Rating: 9/10

Published: 1811
Number of pages: 407

Started: 17 January 2008
Finished: 25 January 2008



Summary (taken from blurb):
Sisters Marianne and Elinor couldn't be more different. Marianne is desperately romantic and longing to meet the man of her dreams, while Elinor takes a far more cautious approach to love.

When the two of them move to the country with their family, miles away from London, there is little prospect of them finding anyone at all. But then they meet their new neighbours - including kind Edward Ferrers and the good-looking, dangerous Willoughby - and it seems happiness may be just round the corner after all.

Things aren't always as they appear to be, though. Soon, both sisters will need to decide who to trust in their search for love: their family, their new friends, their heads - or their hearts?

Comments:
Another beautiful work by Jane Austen. No-one can capture romance and heartache quite like she can and, as always, her writing is a joy to read.

I didn't find myself particularly liking Elinor and Marianne until near the end of the book, which is unusual for me when reading Austen because I usually love all of her heroines (even Emma, with all of her flaws!). That didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book though.

There are also some great quotes in there reminding us that some issues are timeless. I prefer Pride and Prejudice and Emma, but Sense and Sensibility is still a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Rating: 7/10

Published: 2002
Number of pages: 319

Started: 8 January 2008
Finished: 17 January 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi - a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years.

Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a transformative novel, a dazzling work of imagination that will delight and astound readers in equal measure. It is a triumph of storytelling and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God. Can a reader reasonably ask for anything more?

Comments:
***Warning! Spoilers!***
I thought Life of Pi was a pretty entertaining read, but there was nothing that really knocked my socks off or that will stand in my memory for a long time (other than a few slightly gruesome scenes).

There was quite a bit of background story leading up to the lifeboat section, which got a little tiresome, but mostly I found Pi's comments on animals and religion to be quite interesting, even if I didn't completely agree with what he was saying. Like others have said before me, the whole island part was most puzzling - it seemed very out of place! (Although probably not as out-of-place as the short incident with the Frenchman that preceded it!)

I know the ending has come as a disappointment to some people but luckily I knew beforehand how it would end so I wasn't disappointed. Highlight to view spoiler: Which story do I believe? Well, of course we'd all like to believe the version with the animals, but I'm inclined to think his second story was true. If you had spent 227 days at sea, it would certainly give you ample time to think up a story to explain away your actions (which in other circumstances would be atrocious), and perhaps it would also help you to maintain your sanity.

Perhaps I enjoyed it more than some people because I didn't try to read too much into it and find symbolism everywhere. I took it at face value and enjoyed it as a good story, well told.

Book Club Forum Reading Circle Challenge

The fourth challenge I'm undertaking this year is the Book Club Forum Reading Circle Challenge (BF). The challenge is to participate in 10 reading circles, and if I read any books from past reading circles, I'll count those as well.

BF reading in 2008: (currently reading)
Jane Austen: Mansfield Park
Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility
Neil Gaiman: Neverwhere
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Book
Yann Martel: Life of Pi
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein

TBR books that qualify for the BF challenge (will be added to during the year):
Note: Books in italics have been read.
Jane Austen: Mansfield Park (May/June 2008)
Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey (November/December 2008)
Jane Austen: Persuasion (September/October 2008)
Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility (January/February 2008)
Neil Gaiman: Neverwhere (February 2008)
Stephen King: The Stand (December 2007)
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Books (June 2008)
Maggie O'Farrell: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (May 2007)
Yann Martel: Life of Pi (January 2008)
Kate Mosse: Labyrinth (February 2006)
Audrey Niffenegger: The Time-Traveller's Wife (November/December 2005)
Christopher Paolini: Eragon (August 2006)
Terry Pratchett: Hogfather (December 2006)
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (October 2006)

Other BF books I'd like to own and read:
Note: Books in italics have been bought.
Clive Barker: The Thief of Always
John Boyne: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (July 2008)
Neil Gaiman: American Gods (January 2006)
Neil Gaiman: Neverwhere (February 2008)
Jodi Piccoult: My Sister's Keeper (February 2006)
Tom Wolfe: The Bonfire of the Vanities (June 2008)