Confronting Iran

F

Got this for a few quid in a second hand bookshop in Oxford and it's been a slow but interesting read. Got a bit bogged down though.  Iranian history is a tad mind blowing! Can't  find this cover online, hence the photo.  I would only recommend this book if you want to know about Iranian modern history. No Isfahan,  Cyrus the Great, Zoroastrianism or Persepolis in this book! 

 Most people know I am completely fascinated by Iran, so a perfect little read for me but bloody hell there is A LOT to get your head round!  

Over the last 100 or so years Iran has been eyed up by Ottomans, Brits, Soviets, and finally the Americans. I read about how democracy was halted in the 50 s by the Brits and Yanks as they didn't like Iran's elected choice of leader, this of course was linked to the Brits and Americans losing control over the unbelievable amount of oil coming out of Iran. So the CIA assassinated him and somehow became even closer allies with Iran. Infact Iran was almost like a state of the USA. the countries seemed to be happily married in the 60s and 70s but then the crushing and bitter divorce took place between the two countries at the end of the 70s. In fact it's only now that the two countries are beginning to slowly communicate with each other again.  Both sides made bad decisions but ultimately the USA made errors by just flinging money and crude capatilism into a country which didn't need this kind of assistance.  I could see from the history a kind of simple logic behind the revolution.  it was a kind of  backlash against implied Soviet invasion from the north, Sunni aggression from their Arabic neighbours and American might and Israel thrown in for good measure.  how a country could fall under such a harsh regime is beyond me but I'm sure Iranians were just trying their best to preserve their country and protect themselves. The book then talked about the hideous war with Iraq, the emergence of Hezbullah in Lebanon...not actually Iran. and life under sanctions in this theocratic country today.  All a bit grim to be honest...

I also read about how the Bosnians were given weapons by the Iranians. Without the help of Iran Bosnian Sarajevo would have fallen.  Hence all the Iranian shops there I suppose. Never knew this until now.  

Out of It

I really wanted to like this book.  It's not often that I find a novel which is based in Gaza. It looked good and had great reviews but unfortunately I was greatly disappointed. I was looking forward to reading a book which would transport me to a different and harsh reality in one of the most politically,  economically   and physically isolated cities on the planet.

It doesn't matter how much you are interested in a place you still need a story to hold you,  writing that grips you and characters you can believe in.  Unfortunately I got none of the above from this book!

This book only managed to annoy and irritate me. The characters were so weakly described I couldn't really give a damn about what happened to them.  In fact the last 30% of the book was a quick flip through, I was so bored I just couldn't be bothered to read it properly. Hence I can't really review what happened because there wasn't a story! 

A shame really, I just felt this book didn't describe or explain anything successfully. It was devoid of any emotion and people were flat as pancakes.  I was annoyed that the horrors of life in Gaza was having no affect on me. Normally when I read a novel based in a particular place I get transported to the time and inspired and interested in the history and politics, but not with this bilge.

  Nah...not for me!

 This book proves to me that if I want to find out anything about Gaza city I just have to go there...what do you reckon to my chances?!

The Princess Bride

What a great read. I have been feeling under the weather for a couple of weeks and this book choice couldn't have been better. It's been a brilliant read and has kept me well and truly entertained. In fact I think I have been placed under a spell of ' a long and annoying cold ' whilst reading it.  You need to be ill to enjoy it.   This is similar to young William, who gets the original version read to him by his grandfather whilst suffering from pneumonia.  I hope that now I have finished the book the spell will be broken and I will finally begin to feel better!  

A few months back my friend Lucy asked me if I had ever watched the movie and when I said I hadn't she told me I should because it's so funny. When I was wandering round the £2 bookshop in Oxford I found this copy of the original book and remembering what Lucy had told me I bought it. I haven't been disappointed, it's been fabulous.

William Goldman wrote this in 1973 and the film was made in the 80s.  I'm so glad I have been able to read this book with absolutely no knowledge of the film. William Goldman is a genius of structure and plot.  Here he has created a world within a world  within a world with all the classic fairy tale elements kept in and all the boring sections cleverly removed.  

The introduction is William Goldman talking about his life. He mentions his screen play script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid (true) and his psychotherapy wife and rather lazy son. (Found out now this is all false, he didn't have either. )  He talks about his memories of having the original version of The Princess Bride by S. Morganstern read to him by his grandfather. For about 15 pages I was taken in and then suddenly it dawned on me the introduction is totally imaginary and William Goldman  hasn't rewritten the old classic by Morganstern at all.  The whole wonderful recreation is his alone and he turns the art and craft of telling fairy tales on its head.  The satire is amazing  and so funny and works so well because Goldman obviously loves a great fairy tale. He scribbles amendments and notes and tells us when he has removed the boring bits and why.  It's all so clever and entertaining.

For people who don't know the story there is Buttercup the most beautiful girl in the world. Westly, the farm boy, her true love.  Prince Humperdink, the evil guy who she must marry and the great characters of Dread Pirate Robert, Vizzini the hunchback, Inigo Montoya ,the best fencer in the world who must kill the man with six fingers to avenge his father's death and Fezzik, the Turkish strong man. 

The story is based in the country of Florin and the action moves from the country to the palace to the  Mountain  of Insanity and the Fire swamp ( I loved the ROUSs, the rodents of unusual size.) At this point it's like Shrek on acid.

There is a turn to the dark side when Westly is tortured in the Zoo of Death but mostly this book is just so uplifting.  I even love how grumpy and self obsessed William Goldman seems to be in his introduction.  (A dig at self obsessed writers and artists the world over I believe.) 

I urge all my friends or anyone still reading this review to READ this book or watch the movie, or both.  I can't believe it has taken me so many years to do so and I am really looking forward to watching the movie.  As William Goldman also wrote the screen play I have heard there are hardly any changes.  In fact many fans think the film is even better. ( Most fans did watch the movie first though.) I'm looking foward to finding out what I think but I have a gut feeling that the book will  still be my favourite!  

A real gem and a book I will keep for ever and read again and again!

PS. have just found out that Inigo Montoya is played by Mandy Patinkin in the movie.  I will never look at Saul from Homeland in the same light again! 

Child 44

I have raced through this book pretty quickly and enjoyed it.  It has made my trips to work pass in a flash and made the trip back by Eurostar zoom by in what seemed minutes.

It was all high adventure based in Russia in the 50s.  A serial killer is on the loose and Leo, a former KGB operative, decides to investigate the crimes fully.  As the regime states that there is no crime in the Stalinist Soviet Union, Leo and his wife have to go on the run in order to do the job properly. 

This book read like a TV mini series, high on adventure and pace but unfortunately low on character development.  When people spoke the author reverted to a script like style of writing which was pretty annoying and a bit lazy too, I thought.  Evil people were ridiculously evil and although Tom Rob Smith had obviously done lots of research into life in 50's USSR it all just took a back seat to the thrill of finding out what was going to happen next. I felt a bit detached from the horrors of the period. It could have been set in Gotham city for all I cared! 

Ultimately a good read, with a totally ridiculous ending!  Yes, I was totally hooked and addicted throughout.