This year’s Waterstones Prize went to the Polpo Venetian Cookbook, beating Hilary Mantell’s Bringing Up Bodies into second place. Must have been good then as Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bringing Up Bodies are superb novels. Incredibly well written and if you are a lover of history, especially the Tudors should be on your Santa list if you don’t already own them.
As you might have guessed; cook books don’t do a lot for me.
Glyn
Yes, they do have different names. But I guess we do. To some I will be Mr. Pope,
Others Glyn, dad, grandpa, a nickname and for a Russian reading these different names I’m assuming it’s equally as confusing.
Mr Pope
So glad I am not the only one! I read something else by Solzhenitsyn (I think it was Cancer Ward) and I thought there were about 20 characters in it. There turned out to be about 6, but they all had 3 and often 4 different names, that weren't obvious derivatives. Well - perhaps they were obvious if you were Russian - but they weren't obvious to me!! :-)
I do as well. That is the main reason I find Russian fiction, other than Solzhenitsyn (Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich desert island book) so difficult to read.
Glyn
Have re-started Wolf Hall - and it is OK! I can't get over-excited about it though. Also, I do wish she would clarify who is talking, or who they are talking about rather more than she does!! I think that may be why I abandoned it last time! I find it SO frustrating when I am working out "who" all the time!!
I think what it was for me, the novel wasn’t very interesting at the begiining. It was hard going. I stuck with it because, as I’ve said I find the subject matter interesting. But all of Mantel’ books aren’t that good. With Bringing up the bodies, Waterstones were giving The Giant O’Brian away free. I thought goody, another Mantel. It was awful. I could not get into it. I rarely give books away, but that has long gone to Emmaus.
G.
I got way beyond the first 30 pages and just wasn't that into it! But - I'll have another go! I didn't ever say that I found it difficult! It was more that I wasn't sufficiently engaged to want to continue! I like Tudor history - but this didn't grab me! I'll will dig it out and try again .... I will keep you posted! :-)
As stated, the opening I found confusing. Once sorted though it was excellent. It’s one of those books that you have to stick with for the first 30 pages or so.
G.
Lucy, I found the opening quite difficult. But I love the Tudors (fiction and non-fiction) so stuck with it. Believe me it was a stunner. Bringing up Bodies was even better. There is going to be a third and I can’t wait for the TV serialisation.
I often wonder why Henry VII isn’t written about in fiction more often. A fascinating historical figure.
G.
I have read both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies and loved them both. I very nearly bought Polpo the Venetian Cookbook, but when I looked at the preview on Amazon, there were lots of recipes I already had.
Wolf Hall is not Anna Karenina, I cannot understand why anyone should find it difficult.
I am looking forward to the third in the trilogy and wondering if it will be a third Booker winner.
So true! I own a lot of cookery books - though I am not sure that they would qualify for any prize. I am not sure I would even nominate them for a prize!! I have tried (twice) to read Wolf Hall - and have given up both times! I found it heavy going and confusing and so I abandoned it! Maybe I should give it another try and hope that I am in a better frame of mind for it now!! Some books are like that! :-)