Cecily's book reviews

In general I've written reviews of every book I've read since I joined GoodReads (RIP) in May 08, along with one or two I read prior to that. More recent reviews tend to be longer (sometimes a tad too long?). I always carry a book, though I don't get as much time as I'd like to get engrossed - life is busy, but in a good way. Too many of my favourite authors died without writing enough! Apart from reading, and writing about reading, I enjoy Scrabble, good restaurants, woodland, and attending the theatre.
Wodehouse: A Life - Robert McCrum Doesn't come to life, so suffers in comparison to the works of Wodehouse himself. It's a diligent and comprehensive but rather flat essay, rattling off facts in an efficient chronology, but lacking in passion, or even original insights about its subject. There are numerous notes, but there is no superscript marker when reading the chapters, so you don't know when there is additional information, which is intensely irritating. He also contradicts himself, eg emphasising that PGW was a loner but then describing another situation as satisfying his need for companionship, and giving contradictory summaries of his academic success (or otherwise). The generally favourable reviews were presumably from his cronies and those wanting reciprocal favours (he's the Observer's Literary editor).

Try to get a copy of Barry Phelps' Wodehouse: Man and Myth instead.

Currently reading

The Illustrated Gormenghast Trilogy
Sebastian Peake, China MiƩville, Mervyn Peake
Gormenghast
Mervyn Peake