[Most Recent Entries] [Calendar View] [Friends]
Below are the 12 most recent journal entries recorded in
Books news, reviews and author interviews | guardian.co.uk | guardian.co.uk's LiveJournal:
| Friday, October 23rd, 2009 | |
| 6:24 pm | Robert Crumb's The Book of Genesis The US cartoonist has completed his long-awaited illustrated version of the first 50 chapters of the Bible. Take a look
|
| 1:55 pm | How well do you know gothic fiction? With the nights drawing in and Halloween on the way, now is the time to reacquaint yourself with the shadowy pleasures of the gothic novel
|
| Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 | |
| 11:24 am | Meg Rosoff on The Bride's Farewell Meg Rosoff is appearing at this weekend's Hay Festival at Kings Place, London to talk about her new novel, the Hardy-esque tale of Pell and her brother Bean, The Bride's Farewell
|
| Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 | |
| 11:40 am | A bit foreword! Mandela plans legal action over 'fake endorsement' Nelson Mandela denies writing introduction praising Congo-Brazzaville's president as a 'great African leader' In the crowded field of political biography, it can be hard for a novice author to stand out. But not Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the president of Congo-Brazzaville, who has certainly managed to make a splash. In his new tome he boasts, in large type on the cover, that it contains a foreword written by Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president. The foreword praises Sassou-Nguesso as "one of our great African leaders" which, as endorsements go, beats the Booker and Nobel prizes rolled into one. But the biography, Straight Speaking for Africa, appears to fall short of its title. Mandela has issued a statement saying he did not write the foreword. Nor has he read the book. He plans to take legal action. "This is a false claim," said Verne Harris, acting chief executive of the Johannesburg-based Nelson Mandela Foundation. "Mr Mandela has neither read the book nor written a foreword for it. We condemn this brazen abuse of Mr Mandela's name. We will be taking appropriate action." The foreword says in Mandela's name: "In President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, I recognise a man who is not only one of our great African leaders ... but also one of those who gave their unconditional support to our fighters' demand for freedom, and who worked tirelessly to free oppressed peoples from their chains and help restore their dignity and hope." That alone might have aroused the suspicions of readers aware that while Mandela helped end apartheid, won his country's first democratic elections and stepped down graciously after one term, Sassou-Nguesso came to power in a coup three decades ago and, after losing an election, regained it by winning a civil war. Amnesty International's most recent report on Congo-Brazzaville said that human rights defenders and journalists faced threats, arrests and detention, while a number of people arrested after a disturbance were tortured or otherwise ill-treated. Mandela, 91, has become a global brand with everything from Russian dolls and fridge magnets to innumerable streets and squares bearing his image or name. The foundation occasionally issues statements on attempts to exploit the Mandela brand, but rarely in language as sharp as that used yesterday. "Mr Mandela is still overwhelmed by requests to write book forewords," his foundation said. "A year ago he indicated he will no longer be agreeing to such requests." Officials in Sassou-Nguesso's government said they were unable to respond to the statement. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
|
| Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 | |
| 10:22 am | Robert Harris on Cicero, Hitchhikers revisited and the art of the book editor In this week's podcast, Robert Harris explains why all roads lead to Rome in an interview with Claire Armitstead to launch the second part of his Cicero trilogy, Lustrum, Eoin Colfer defends his decision to write the sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and our panellists give their verdict on the result. Plus, following the attack by Booker chair Jim Naughtie on the deplorable state of book editing, we look at whether standards have really fallen and if too much editing might actually be a bad thing. Our panellists also tip the events they will be booking up for when the Hay Festival comes to London's King's Place.
|
| 8:51 am | Roald Dahl characters still dominate children's favourites Booktrust poll of 5 to 12-year-olds, topped by Harry Potter, finds four Dahl inventions among the top 20 best loved Roald Dahl's tales of the unexpected continue to exert a magical pull on children's imaginations almost 20 years after he died, with the Big Friendly Giant, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda and Charlie Bucket all making it into a list of children's favourite fictional characters. An eclectic mix of classic titles, television spin-offs, modern favourites and fairy stories emerged when books charity Booktrust asked 1,318 children aged between five and 12 to pick their favourite literary characters. The list was, inevitably, topped by bespectacled wizard Harry Potter, but Dahl was the author to collect the most mentions from children, with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Charlie coming in 10th, Matilda 15th, Fantastic Mr Fox 16th and the BFG 20th. "Roald Dahl's books are like modern fairy tales. The books still resonate because they sparkle with his genius," said Katherine Solomon at Booktrust. "It is no wonder that he is still so appealing: his books have such a vibrant and vivid mixture of grotesque dark characters filled with a wicked humour and unbelievable energy." Francesca Simon's mop-haired rascal Horrid Henry was second favourite, followed by Jacqueline Wilson's Tracy Beaker in third. The likes of Hannah Montana, Ben 10 and Doctor Who also muscled in on the top 10, relegating Peter Pan and Cinderella into joint 11th place, but Winnie the Pooh managed to sneak into the top 10 in eighth place, ahead of Dav Pilkey's creation Captain Underpants. The research also found that the most powerful ingredient for attracting children to a particular book was character, with 51% citing that as their reason for reading a title, ahead of plot at 43%. Thirty eight percent were attracted to a book if was based on a television show, and 32% if it was based on a film, while just 5% said they would read a book if a celebrity such as David Walliams or Madonna had written it. The top 20 in full: 1. Harry Potter 2. Horrid Henry 3. Tracy Beaker 4. Biff, Chip and Kipper (school reading scheme characters) 5. Hannah Montana 6. Doctor Who 7. Ben 10 8. Winnie the Pooh 9. Captain Underpants 10. Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 11= Cinderella 11= Gruffalo 11= Peter Pan 11= Charlie and Lola 15. Matilda 16= Alex Rider 16= Fantastic Mr Fox 16= Spiderman 19. Thomas The Tank Engine 20. BFG guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
|
| 9:42 am | Jung artistry Carl Jung considered The Red Book, a grand, illuminated volume in which he nurtured his theories, his most important work. Until now, very few have seen it, but a new facsimile makes its visionary ideas available. Take a look
|
| Friday, October 16th, 2009 | |
| 1:08 pm | Howards End is on the Landing Read the introduction to Susan Hill's memoir of a year of reading from home, in which she takes a fascinating voyage around her own bookshelves guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
|
| Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 | |
| 9:34 am | Robert Harris on Cicero, Hitchhikers revisited and the art of the book editor In this week's podcast, Robert Harris explains why all roads lead to Rome in an interview with Claire Armitstead to launch the second part of his Cicero trilogy, Lustrum, Eoin Colfer defends his decision to write the sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and our panellists give their verdict on the result. Plus, following the attack by Booker chair Jim Naughtie on the deplorable state of book editing, we look at whether standards have really fallen and if too much editing might actually be a bad thing. Our panellists also tip the events they will be booking up for when the Hay Festival comes to London's King's Place.
|
| Saturday, October 17th, 2009 | |
| 11:25 pm | Ashes of the Amazon by Milton Hatoum  Hatoum's third novel is again set in his hometown of Manaus, deep in the heart of the Amazon. It is 1964 when Lavo and Mundo meet at school and the beginning of the Brazilian military dictatorship that is to last 21 years. Bound by family connections that are gradually revealed as the novel progresses, the two establish a long-standing friendship. Mundo, an aspiring artist, has a turbulent relationship with his father, a wealthy tycoon who sees his son as little more than his heir. Time passes imperceptibly and without mention; Mundo grows more embittered and his need to rebel becomes increasingly compulsive, with devastating consequences. Although the translation is lucid, the story can be confusing. Yet the novel's themes of ambition and integrity have a universal appeal. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
|
| Sunday, October 18th, 2009 | |
| 10:00 am | Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love by Sheila Rowbotham Edward Carpenter was many things: a prolific writer and campaigner on numerous issues, an open homosexual and a student of eastern philosophy. He was also the epitome of the sandal-wearing, vegetarian socialist so pilloried by George Orwell. Deemed naive by some, and now somewhat forgotten, he was a progressive thinker, interested in connections between people and in finding a fairer way of living. Rowbotham's masterful and detail-rich biography shows how influential he was in his day. He had an opinion on most things, wrote numerous essays and tracts and met and corresponded with many significant figures including Walt Whitman, Roger Fry and EM Forster. Rowbotham's fascination with Carpenter is evident, but she's not blind to his many contradictions. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
|
| Saturday, October 17th, 2009 | |
| 11:27 pm | To Love, Honour and Betray by Kathy Lette Lucy is a mess. Her catalogue of tribulations includes ex-best friend Renee who's stolen her drippy husband, Jasper, a teenage daughter who hates her and incipient alcoholism. Despite this, she still manages to wisecrack her way through every conversation. So does almost every other character, even the supposedly gruff Lockie, who runs the surf lifesaving class that Lucy joins and which proves the saving of her. "It's only in novels that coincidences seem contrived. In life, they happen all the time," Lette writes. Which is why, when our heroine swims naked in the sea in the middle of the night, Lockie happens to be out fishing, handily positioned to rescue her from drowning. To paraphrase another Aussie: can you tell where this is going yet? guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
|