It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five-part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, beginning with “Never Mind”.

The first volume is set in the South of France of the 1960s and introduces two handfuls of English upper-class characters relevant throughout all five novels. Most important of all the Melroses, a wealthy family of three: Title character five-year-old Patrick, a lively but solitary boy with an increasing potential of playful cruelty. His alcoholic mother Eleanor. His middle-aged but dominant father David, a former doctor who instills sadistic terror in his wife’s every being. They expect guests for dinner. This otherwise ordinary summer day takes an unexpected turn well before supper when Patrick is exposed to a kind of punishment no human being should ever have to endure – an experience, which splits his fortunate world of privilege in two.

“Patrick walked up a steep bank on a path that ran beside a bay tree and emerged next to the well. He was forbidden to play by the well. It was his favourite place to play. Sometimes he climbed onto the rotten cover and jumped up and down, pretending it was a trampoline. Nobody could stop him, nor did they often try. The wood was black where the blistered pink paint had peeled off. It creaked dangerously and made his heart beat faster.”(p.23)

Having read the Melrose book series in its entirety, it becomes clear St Aubyn’s works are formulaic in that each novel examines only one significant day in its protagonist’s life, the fourth titled “Mother’s Milk” being an exception. “Never Mind” (Picador) with its third person narrative is a beautifully written introduction spread across roughly 200 pages. As a sketcher of character, the author has created a variety of literate and frightfully authentic personalities, cynical and opinionated in speech. Since this novel’s foreground action itself is recognisably brief, it is their internal monologues and anecdotes, which reveal some of them to be pompous, but at times brutally honest and funny. Others are as horrible as only real life could shape them to be. The language St Aubyn’s characters inhabit is suitably English mixed with some basic French. The adult world little Patrick grows up in suffers from deeply rooted troubles beyond its French surroundings and comforting animals in “Never Mind”. Framed by a thin façade of upper class privilege, Patrick’s childhood comes to a sudden end that day: Trigger warning [incest, child rape] – the boy is sexually abused by his father. Although obviously a very subjective point of view the trauma inflicting incident can be considered as not too graphically described. Nor is it mentioned in further detail in any of the following Melrose novels. Clueless first time readers, perhaps, might not even notice the abuse took place until it is over. However, it should be acknowledged that at the root of “The Patrick Melrose Novels” lays rape. Readers of this book series should therefore be adults only.

Brief digression on sexual assault/abuse in general (skip paragraph or read on):
There are two types of abuse – contact (I) and non-contact (II). The first (I) includes “sexual touching of any part of the body, forcing or encouraging a child to take part in sexual activity, rape, penetration, making a child take their clothes off, touch someone else’s genitals or masturbate”, the latter (II) includes “grooming, not taking proper measures to prevent a child being exposed to sexual activities by others, online abuse including making, viewing or, distributing child abuse images, showing pornography to a child” and more (NSPCC).

“Never Mind” is the second 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Holliday Grainger, Indira Varma, Sebastian Maltz, Pip Torrens, Anthony Boyle and Hugo Weaving. Benedict Cumberbatch also features. It has been given a TVMA (Mature Audience Only) rating due to “Adult Content, Rape, Adult Language and Mild Violence” (ShowTime). There will be strong images some might find upsetting to view. Underaged audience members should not watch this episode.

Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last

Written by freewomenxgrape on 19 April 2018. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, Quotes
Tags: book review, Edward St Aubyn, Never Mind, Patrick Melrose, trigger warning

It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, continuing with “Bad News”.

The second volume is set in New York City, USA, of the 1980s and introduces twenty-two-year-old Patrick Melrose who flew stateside to collect his father’s remains following the news of his recent passing. Half-orphaned and enormously wealthy as ever, he is now gripped by a serious addiction to heroin and cocaine. Caught between withdrawal, relapses and dependant on drug-dealing fellow addicts, suicidal Patrick faces great difficulty to come to terms with the death of his abusive father. A dangerous cocktail of alcohol and drugs mixed with the prospect of intercourse is worsened by internal voices, which accompany this life-threatening trip to America.

“Patrick growled, his teeth bared and clenched.
He punched the side of the coffin with his knuckles to bring him round.
How should he play this scene from the movie of his life?
He straightened himself and smiled contemptuously. ‘Dad,’ he said in his most cloying American accent,
‘you were so fucking sad, man, and now you’re trying to make me sad too.’ He choked insincerely.
‘Well,’ he added in his own voice,’bad luck.’”(p.31)

Trigger warning [addiction, death, suicide, severe substance abuse] – In “Bad News” (Picador) St Aubyn uses fiction to deal with a period of own his life he now regrets: being addicted from a very young age with a self-inflicted limited life expectancy. It is vital to state the difference between the fictitious reality within this second novel and the general destructive real-life nature of addiction. The author’s descriptions could have been worse or less harmful – the latter less likely – at the time in real life. This book review does not intend to glorify substance abuse or else, but this might be the most extreme and therefore most memorable Melrose read.

Written once more in a third person narrative on roughly 240 pages, the book series opener “Never Mind” comes along relatively lightly compared to “Bad News”. Even though he doesn’t intend to torture his readership, St Aubyn doesn’t hold back in this one: injecting, snorting, swallowing, vomiting, fainting, nearly dying, and hallucinating and then some. It isn’t an easy read. Nevertheless, this part of Patrick’s young life, oftentimes uncomfortable and appalling, teaches a great deal about addiction and its consequences without the reader having to live through such an ordeal himself. New characters who accompany the protagonist’s ashes collecting trip are both poor and rich – many occasional users or addicts themselves. Partly strong language, in English and French, is used accordingly with local dialects and swear words. Internal monologues more than dialogue help mental and physical states to surface, especially Patrick’s. Driven on by his main character’s irresponsible actions, St Aubyn unfortunately doesn’t offer any insight into how Eleanor Melrose copes with her husband’s death. Her son’s battle with his own substance-induced psychotic disorder – that’s to say hearing a noisy variety of voices to mention just one symptom – is as fascinating, entertaining and comic as it is without doubt utterly terrifying. It’s no spoiler the 22-year-old, who sort of lives up to the press’ “playboy” status quo in this novel, miraculously survives. But whether that’s good or bad news is a completely different story. Readers of this particular book should be adults only.

“Bad News” is the first 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Allison Williams, Indira Varma, Gary Beadle, Hugo Weaving and Benedict Cumberbatch. It has been given a TVMA (Mature Audience Only) rating due to “Adult Content, Adult Language, Brief Nudity” (ShowTime). There will be strong images some might find upsetting to view. Audience members of any age do good to take care of themselves before, during and after this episode’s broadcast. Not recommended for children under 18.

Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last

Written by freewomenxgrape on 19 April 2018. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, Quotes
Tags: Bad News, book review, Edward St Aubyn, Patrick Melrose, trigger warning

It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, continuing with “Some Hope”.

The third volume is set in the English countryside of Gloucestershire and invites to a glittering high society party. Melrose, of course, is among the illustrious circle of guests. Now aged thirty and no longer a junkie though still on the verge of temptation, he begins to reflect on his own life and behavioral patterns – both of which ultimately define his present and future being. An evening of cruelties committed by the social class he was born into unfolds while Patrick, trapped in his argumentative daydreams, is in search of the right words. Not only witty words, but forbidden ones too about the truth of his childhood; words to tell someone.

“’How are you?’ Nicholas asked Patrick. ‘Dying for a drink,’ said Patrick.
‘Well, you have all my sympathy,’ yawned Nicholas. ‘I’ve never been addicted to heroin, but I had to give up smoking cigarettes, which was quite bad enough for me. Oh, look, there’s Princess Margaret. One has to be so careful not to trip over her. I suppose you’ve already heard what happened at dinner.’
‘The diplomatic incident.’
‘Yes.’
‘Very shocking,’ said Patrick solemnly. ‘I must say, I rather admire P.M.,’ said Nicholas, glancing over at her condescendingly. ‘She used a minor accident to screw the maximum amount of humiliation out of the ambassador. Somebody has to uphold our national pride during its Alzheimer years, and there’s no one who does it with more conviction. Mind you,’ said Nicholas in a more withering tone, ‘entre nous, since I’m relying on them to give me a lift back to London, I don’t think France has been so heroically represented since the Vichy government. You should have seen the way Alantour slid to his knees. Although I’m absolutely devoted to his wife who, behind all that phoney chic, is a genuinely malicious person with whom one can have the greatest fun,
I’ve always thought Jaques was a bit of a fool.’
‘You can tell him yourself,’ said Patrick as he saw the ambassador approaching from behind. ‘Mon cher Jaques,’ said Nicholas, spinning lightly round, ‘I thought you were absolutely brilliant! The way you handled that tiresome woman was faultless: by giving in to her ridiculous demands you showed just how ridiculous they were.
Do you know my young friend Patrick Melrose? His father was a very good friend of mine.’” (p. 145-146)

Trigger warning [child abuse] – Initially intended to finish his alter-ego’s story arc within a “Some Hope” trilogy (Picador) published in 2003, author St Aubyn returns with his “Never Mind” like 200 pages and third person narrative. It is noteworthy that the narrative voice gradually retreats throughout the novels as St Aubyn presents a satirical glimpse into the English upper-class he knows. An almost overwhelmingly large number of well-spoken, posh, snobbish and opinionated characters introduce themselves throughout this novel. Among them: George Watford, a friend of David Melrose. Nicholas Pratt, a family friend and ex-partner to the evening’s host. Johnny Hall, a psychoanalyst and Patrick’s best friend.

The vast majority of gossiping characters, though, are a bunch of upsetting misfits keen to cheat on each other and stuck in their own world. They aren’t necessarily likeable company to be in. Nevertheless, “Some Hope” – as its title suggests – offers beautifully-written prose and some light at the end of the tunnel for St Aubyn’s protagonist who bravely conquers a challenge far too few victims of sexual abuse feel able to tackle: to talk even only discretely about what happened to him from the age of five and find some kind of redemption. This novel can be read by all above the age of 16.

“Some Hope” is the third 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Harriet Walter, Holliday Grainger, Georgia Maguire, Jessica Raine, Margo Stilley, Amanda Root, Lila Prideaux, Pip Torrens, Jamie Bradley, Gary Beadle, Simon Weir, Prasanna Puwanarajah and Benedict Cumberbatch. The TV series includes “Adult Content, Adult Language, Strong Language, Suggestive Dialogue and Sexual Situations”, according to ShowTime.

Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last

Written by freewomenxgrape on 19 April 2018. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, Quotes
Tags: book review, Edward St Aubyn, Patrick Melrose, Some Hope, trigger warning

It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, continuing with “Mother’s Milk”.

The fourth volume from the “Patrick Melrose Novels” is different to the others from the get-go: It is shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2006, dedicated to St Aubyn’s son and initially not meant to become another Melrose novel. During its writing process, however, its leading man named Mark turned into Patrick. His story wasn’t finished yet. “Mother’s Milk”, unlike the previous novels, is set in France and America during four summers of the early 2000s. Patrick Melrose is a husband and a working father of two but life is far from sorted. Although drunkenly desperate to make no mistakes in marriage and fatherhood his ever-present past lingers in the French shadows. Threatened with disinheritance by his increasingly helpless mother and bored by everyday life with his besotted wife Mary, he finds himself overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for a new generation.

“He had to face facts, though: they had been separated. He understood now that his mother had already been on the outside. For her this wild shore was a new role, for him it was a new world. The strange thing was that he felt as if he had been there before. He had known there was an outside all along. He used to think it was a muffled watery world out there and that he lived at the heart of things. Now the walls had tumbled down and he could see what a muddle he had been in. How could he avoid getting in a new muddle in this hammeringly bright place? How could he kick and spin like he used to in this heavy atmosphere where the air stung his skin? Yesterday he had thought he was dying. Perhaps he was right and this is what happened. Everything was open to question, except the fact that he was separated from his mother. Now that he realized there was a difference between them, he loved his mother with new sharpness. He used to be close to her. Now he longed to be close to her. The first taste of longing was the saddest thing in the world.”(p. 5)

Trigger warning [alcoholism, addiction, adultery, depression, suicide] – First things first: “Mother’s Milk” (Picador) is an exceptionally brilliant piece of fiction, of writing, and the brief excerpt above alone is proof such. This novel literally opens with the beginning of life itself. In this case Robert Melrose’s, Patrick’s firstborn, who remembers his own birth following the imminent arrival of his brother, Thomas. To quote the five-year-old big brother: motherhood explored from all possible angles by author St Aubyn is “at the heart of things” in this one. Patrick, who seeks consolation in drink, tranquillizers and intercourse, has reached a new level of observation – He reflects, observes, questions and judges as much as he himself is being observed, questioned and judged by the few loved ones he shares his life with. St Aubyn explores both the limitation and liberation of speech with the help of Eleanor Melrose’s health decline and her grandsons’ discovery of many witty and well-spoken words. The adult language used is both English and French, sometimes sexually explicit, and includes swear words. Overall it’s a brilliant, delightful 300 pages read even though its troubled protagonist is often drunkenly faced with decision making he would rather not be made responsible for. This novel can be read by all above the age of 16.

“Mother’s Milk” is the fourth 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Blythe Danner, Anna Madeley, Jennifer Raine, Dixie Egerickx, Bryony Miller, Dainton Anderson, Marcus Smith, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Guy Paul and Benedict Cumberbatch. The TV series includes “Adult Content, Adult Language, Strong Language, Suggestive Dialogue and Sexual Situations”, according to ShowTime.

Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last

Written by freewomenxgrape on 19 April 2018. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, Quotes
Tags: book review, Edward St Aubyn, Mother's Milk, Patrick Melrose, trigger warning

It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, concluding with “At Last”.

The fifth and final volume is set on Prince Charles’ wedding day in April 2005. The Melroses, instead of being invited to Windsor Castle, find themselves gathered in London to attend the funeral of Eleanor Melrose.

“Now that he was an orphan everything was perfect. He seemed to have been waiting all his life for this sense of completeness. It was all very well for the Oliver Twists of this world, who started out in the enviable state it had taken him forty-five years to achieve, but the relative luxury of being brought up by Bumble and Fagin, rather than David and Eleanor Melrose, was bound to have a weakening effect on the personality. Patient endurance of potentially lethal influences had made Patrick the man he was today, living alone in a bedsit, only a year away from his latest visit to the Suicide Observation Room in the Depression Wing of the Priory Hospital.”(p. 9)

Trigger warning [addiction, depression, death, domestic violence, rape, suicide] – “At Last” (Picador) concludes the book series with a third person narrative across roughly 270 pages. Funerals are an occasion of remembrance and “At Last” is no exception when Patrick reflects on days long past. Now in his 40s, the truth about his parents’ sadistic relationship and the unfortunate role he played in it is revealed – explicitly. Author St Aubyn introduces few new characters next to his thinly veiled alter-ego and allows already established ones to reflect on what kind of impression Mrs. Melrose has made in her lifetime. Unlike the mostly negative impression she has made on her only son, some are genuinely convinced of her capacity for goodness while Patrick continues his journey towards liberty. At last another significant and challenging day, though not as disastrous as David Melrose’s passing described in “Bad News”, comes to an insightful end. Readers of this novel should be adults, see trigger warnings above.

“At Last” is the fifth 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Anna Madeley, Blythe Danner, Jessica Raine, Pip Torrens, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Dainton Anderson, Marcus Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch. The TV series includes “Adult Content, Adult Language, Strong Language, Suggestive Dialogue and Sexual Situations”, according to ShowTime.

“The Patrick Melrose Novels” (Picador) can be bought here. Buy Volume I and Volume II with actor Benedict Cumberbatch on the covers.

Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last

If you have read this far and identify with any of the subjects (marked in the trigger warnings) addressed in this five-part book review, please open up to someone of your trust or call a helpline. It is okay to seek help. You are not alone. Take care.

Written by freewomenxgrape on 19 April 2018. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, Quotes, Various
Tags: At Last, book review, Edward St Aubyn, Patrick Melrose, trigger warning

During a wait between comic release dates I came across this “Strange” series from 2004. Part of the “Marvel Knights” set of releases.

I admit i went in pretty blindly. I found them fairly cheaply and thought well, why not. Plus, look at that issue 5. Man, that is some gorgeous cover art right there. I’d seen that image floating around a lot it’s cool to see where it’s come from.

Upon reading the comics and a small amount of research i found it was a re-telling of Doctor Strange’s origin story. Because of this i wouldn’t call it super ESSENTIAL reading if you’re delving into the world of Strange but it was certainly interesting and entertaining!

The art, as you can see by the covers, if absolutely gorgeous. Really some of the best i’ve seen personally. Most of the characters are familiar to us though i’d personally never properly come across Clea before. I looked her up – niece of Dormammu who betrays him and is on the good guy team. She’s all magic too. Even at one point becomes Mrs Strange. Oooo.

In a way, being fairly familiar with Strange’s origin story, i didn’t feel like it had stretched the original that much. The nature of his surgery was slightly different, his accident circumstances changed slightly, and his links with Tibet were established early on. But in the end the dealings with The Ancient One and Mordo and things were fairly similar, except maybe the setting.  I liked the Wong story-line very much.

However, this is the first “re-telling” of any kind i’ve ever come across. I’m not sure of the general standard and expectation of these things. It was certainly interesting and a good story and visually beautiful. Plus Stephen was as sassy as always. Also Wong is hot. Is that a weird thing to say about a comic character? Just, yeah. They have a good look for him.

As a final point, i couldn’t help but make some comparisons between this series and the film especially when it came to the visuals. The Ancient One is very much dressed in yellow, the sort of circular crest-like magic shapes are used and just some little things like Strange’s apartment and him saying “teach me”. It’s really fun to see where possible inspiration for the film came from!

(click to enlarge)

Written by Jess5_11 on 28 June 2017. No comments »
Category: Various
Tags: Comics, Doctor Strange, doctor strange comics, dr strange, Marvel, marvel knights

Initially i came across this Doctor Strange comic series by accident just whilst searching online. I initially found the first issue of the series as part of a Halloween release but once i got to the end i was definitely hooked and got my hands on the rest of the series. The Oath was originally released (i think) in 2006-2007.

I would wildly recommend this series anyway and even more so now that we have the Doctor Strange film.

It’s quite difficult to say much about this series without giving away the plot but i think for any Dr Strange or comic fans in general it’s a really fun read. Lots of focus on the relationship between Stephen and Wong which is lovely and we get the addition of the wonderful Night Nurse who i hadn’t met before. She’s awesome!

(The hospital scene between Astral Strange and Christine in the film looks like it was lifted straight out of this series! Plus it was possibly the first time i’d seen the cloak presented as a sentient being and i absolutely loved it!)

Plus Strange and Night Nurse have some great Sherlock Holmes style banter.

I think what i really liked about this series is that it seemed like quite a good summary of Doctor Strange. Each issue gives you a little update on what’s happened so far, but the story as a whole sort of assumes you aren’t familiar with Doctor Strange and gives you a review of his origins. Plus we get a great (and sometimes rather disturbing) insight into his background story when he was working as a surgeon before he become the Sorcerer Supreme – an important piece of plot! (I believe this series also gave us the name “Dr West” in the film).

There’s lots of twists and turns and false leads that allow us to visit some old favourites of Stephen’s universe but getting a fun new story.

I love how the series all came together. With little hints here and there in earlier issues of things we wouldn’t learn about until later to get the full story. Though of course the great part about finding these comics after the series has already been released in full is that we can just read it all at once! It’s also available as a graphic novel as a series.

Overall i really enjoyed it. I love Stephen Strange as a character he’s so funny and sassy. I greatly enjoyed the pictures of the cape waiting patiently in a chair in the corner at the hospital. That become one of my favourite pieces of imagery.

Written by Jess5_11 on 28 June 2017. No comments »
Category: Various
Tags: Comics, Doctor Strange, doctor strange comics, dr strange, the oath

‘I am old. That is the first thing to tell you. The thing you are least likely to believe.
If you saw me you would probably think I was about forty, but you would be very wrong.’
Teaching history at a London comprehensive Tom Hazard has settled for an ordinary urban life. Or so it seems. Due to a rare condition which causes him to age at a much slower pace than everyone else he has lived for four hundred and thirty-six years already. ‘The history guy’. Indeed. With the burden of a dozen lifetimes in mind and body his every day is defined by rules to keep him alive. One and most important of all: not to fall in love.

As brilliantly bestselling author Matt Haig explored the human condition in his previous works he knows just as well what it means to lose your good spirits in life. However, his new novel does not dwell on the suicidal paths Hazard has been on. Instead, it is a work of fiction to find comfort in and to be entertained by in times like ours.
It is an easy 325 page read. Haig tells a five part story rich of life experience, emotion and history much like Shakespeare made use of the five acts structure. You need not fear. You needn’t be what we call a history “geek” in the 21^st century. Previously: A considerable number of cleverly chosen and intertwined flashbacks tap into memories explaining Hazard’s long lasting existence. From Elizabethan England with Christopher and Hal when all the world [was] a stage to Jazz-Age Paris. From hot dogs made in New York to the South Seas. From badly timed phone calls to good-looking Facebook Erik who deceased six years ago. Some are much shorter than others and all outnumber the teacher’s school life which doesn’t have hung parliaments on its curriculum. Yet.

‘How to stop time: kiss’ is an advice given by Haig, 41, in “Reasons To Stay Alive” (2015).
There is plenty of time for kissing in this story. And music. So much music. And breathing. A lot of that too.
It’s somewhat of a miracle his protagonist, presently in the company of a sensitive dog, kept breathing during his 400 something years. He’s a tough one, no doubt.

Have you ever stood outside of a building built at a time long past? Wondered, possibly in awe, about the people who have built and lived in it, let alone passed by going about their day? The weather conditions it has endured?
Its surroundings shaped and changed by destructive human force or simply nature?
We have all been there, haven’t we, and it’s how the 436-year-old born in 15^th century France sees the world. Daily. Except that the people we imagine might have been his doctor, his neighbour with childcare advice, his old friend or even his enemy. Oftentimes Hazard isn’t as much in awe as we might be. A variety of ancient places, smells, noises, diseases, feelings and challenges of a poorer status quo come to his aching mind ever so easily.
He has seen a lot and carries a lot; holding himself steady but unable to share it outside the classroom.

‘You can find it easy to imagine that you are a fixed thing, inside a fixed nation, with a fixed flag, and a fixed outlook. You can imagine that these things mean something. The longer you live, the more you realise that nothing is fixed. Everyone will become a refugee if they live long enough. Everyone would realise their nationality means little in the long run. Everyone would see their worldviews challenged and disproved. Everyone would realise that the thing that defines a human being is being a human. Turtles don’t have nations. Or flags. Or strategic nuclear weapons.’

At the heart of “HOW TO STOP TIME”, apologies to the turtles everywhere, are the human beings Tom has encountered. Two handfuls of human highlights. The dangerous kind too. Not to drop names though! Some which belong to people of importance in life, and influence. Some who have famously changed our world as we know it today. Unfortunately not Alan Turing. Name drop! Some ordinary and extraordinary ones. Others to cherish and remember beyond death. In particular, the women. Haig allows them to age. Haig makes them strong, independent and confident, often saying the right things at the right time. Both now and then. They are unlike any history book stereotype each era they lived in may have forced on them and yet they are not spared from harm. This is our human history after all. What drives pensive Tom in life are women he has learned to love and care about deeply.
Make no mistake. He’s far from what we would call a “womanizer” in the 21^st century. Break the rules, kiss.
Caring is a dangerous business, but ‘people you love never die’.
Old age does not lessen human desires, but it’s not that kind of story.

‘If I wasn’t your boss – which I am – if I was just your next-door neighbour – which I am not – I would say that, well, Madame Guerin has, for some crazy reason, a bit of a thing for a certain new history teacher. But obviously I wouldn’t say that, because I am a headteacher and headteachers shouldn’t say that sort of thing. It would be totally unprofessional to encourage inter-staff romances. It’s just… she’s been very quiet this last week. Have you noticed?’
‘I force a smile. ‘Fake news, I’m afraid.’’

The story of Estienne T. A. C. Hazard will make you smile and pause and angry at the injustices of the world.
At times, your heart will ache. You will find yourself root for a wise man in a reasonably young body as he searches for the meaning of the unique life he has been given. Trust Matt Haig to hold on to a moment as if time had indeed stopped only to leave you scared about what’s ahead on the next page. (There should be a sequel.)

Framed by Peter Adlington’s beautifully designed eye-catching cover in glowing yellow and blue colours,
“HOW TO STOP TIME” teaches us about hope, love, guilt, history, music, lies and caring; everything and then some of what makes our short-lived time among each other worth fighting for. Published by Conangate on July 6^th 2017 (£9.09, Amazon UK, ISBN: 978-1-78211-862-6). An extract can be read in advance on the official website. Information on “The How To Stop Time Tour” launch in London, Norwich, Liverpool and elsewhere here. Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, The Imitation Game, Sherlock) is set to produce and play Tom Hazard in a production financed by StudioCanal and co-produced by SunnyMarch. No further announcements have been made.

If I may add a personal note to my book review: I didn’t intend to read this. You can read up an awful lot concerning Cumberbatch’s upcoming roles beforehand which is often joyous but potentially spoils many surprises. I wanted to be surprised by this story once it is adapted to screen and am glad I decided against it now. “HOW TO STOP TIME” smoothly made it to my short list of quickest reads. If you choose to pick it up, hopefully the lot of words above is of help; you will understand why SunnyMarch jumped at the opportunity to own the film rights well before the novel’s publication date. At least I am left with the impression there is a lot of Tom in Benedict. There is a lot for him to explore and stretch himself as an actor and a lot for all of us to identify with.

Written by freewomenxgrape on 28 June 2017. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, History
Tags: book review, How To Stop Time, Matt Haig, SunnyMarch, Tom Hazard

We already have a handful of book reviews about Turing’s life on the website and here is another to add to the list. Published last September “Prof: Alan Turing decoded” is written by Sir Dermot Turing, a nephew, Bletchley Park trustee and a kind of spokesperson for the Turing family. Compared to previous biographies his take on his uncle’s life and work shines a slightly more personal light, despite never having been fortunate enough to meet personally due to circumstances known to the greater public. Alan Turing’s remarkable achievements in a far too short lived lifetime catch many people’s interest in the first place because of the tragedy his family rarely brought up at the time of it happening. I, admittedly rubbish at maths, am no exception.

However, Dermot eloquently manages to balance both his uncle’s personal part-time rollercoaster and outstanding thinking in chapters of equal lengths – while giving lesser public known companions of influence and importance a confident, much deserved shoutout.

Though I have already been quite familiar with a certain amount of content thanks to a year-long research leading to and following “The Imitation Game”, I found this biography to be a wonderful, additional resource to deepen my understanding of what is fact and fiction. It certainly is well, accurately thought-through and researched. If you have a little time on your hands, it is also easily read including to date unpublished information and correspondence, photographs, mathematics, artificial intelligence and morphogenesis naturally. Personal eye-openers were the life-long friendship with the Morcom family, specific character trades, comments on American life, the subtle “Computable Numbers” hint of “puzzle” in Moore’s screenplay, neighbourly anecdotes and more jaw-dropping discoveries I do not want to spoil further at this point. The shocking disbelief never fails to set in when one finds Alan’s sudden, life-ending turn of events anew.

Being somewhat familiar with Dermot’s voice, it felt as if he tells a story of a good friend long lost but never really gone or forgotten. Alan’s story is after all part of his own family, one which especially the younger generations are quite proud and fond of. His nephew paints a picture of a relative who was indeed different to the likes of his time, of rare intellect but not as much of a victim as many want to minimize him to be. Ultimately, any Turing biography has to draw an end – a majority understandably, logically, a sad one. Following a mention of ex PM Gordon Brown’s 2009 apology Sir Dermot Turing notes: “This is not the place to debate the relative merits of apologies and pardons. Perhaps we should remember that Alan Turing’s life was not, except perhaps towards the end, governed by his sexuality. The dominant passion in his life was his ideas; it is those for which he should be remembered, and for them no apology is needed.”*

I recommend this biography to anyone interested like myself with advanced knowledge on the man looking for a reread of events and, without doubt, to everyone who has never held a book about Turing in his or her hand. It is an honour to own and have this one sit on a bookshelf.

*Speaking of pardons nevertheless, on the 23^rd of February it will be precisely one year since Rachel Barnes, Alan Turing’s great-niece, alongside other family members delivered “Pardon49K” to Downing Street 10. It is a petition led by numerous celebrities and signed by thousands demanding to pardon over 49.000 homosexual men wrongly convicted under anti-gay laws in the United Kingdom much like Turing himself. Time is running out for many of these men. As far as it is public knowledge the current government in charge has still not acted upon the demand.

Written by freewomenxgrape on 3 February 2016. No comments »
Category: Books, History
Tags: Alan Turing, review, Sir Dermot Turing

©Marvel

STORY 
Jason Aaron
ART
Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Al Vey, and Mark Irwin
COLORS
Chris Bachalo
LETTERS 
Cory Petit
COVER 
Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Juan Doe

(more…)

Written by Destiny on 20 January 2016. No comments »
Category: Books, Film & TV, Various
Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Bachalo, Doctor Strange, Jason Aaron, Mark Irwin, Marvel, Tim Townsend