Books read in March

[nentari]

Well, bye-bye, paid account. 'Twas fun.

Anyway, have the reviews of some books I've been reading:


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
The next volume in my current Harry Potter rereadathon, after some point this one gained an extra special importance for me during this reread, as it was decided in my long exchange of emails with kerouaille that my next roleplaying project will revolve around this book.
Anyway, back to the book. Once again, Rowling toys with the fact we follow Harry's POV, deceiving the reader and making some twists even more... well, twisty. And, as Harry matures (or immatures, depending on your perspective), so do the dilemmas facing him, from his crush on Cho and his problems finding a date, to the rather grisly climax. A good read, no matter how many times you pick it up.


The Fry Chronicles: an Autobiography - Stephen Fry
I think it's no surprise to anyone that I'm a fan of Stephen Fry in any of his facets. Therefore, and having read the previous volume of his memoirs (Moab is my Washpot) and enjoyed it, it was inevitable that I'd like this one as well. The Fry Chronicles begins at the point Moab ends (with the teenage Stephen getting arrested) and describes how he moved on from those dark days, managed to be accepted at Cambridge, and became a comedian and writer. The book ends in the mid-'80s, after becoming a household name with Blackadder II and before A Bit of Fry and Laurie began. In between, you'll see him befriending Emma Thompson, the birth of his bromance with Hugh Laurie, and the very Fry-esque description of many other personalities and situations. As a taster, here's what he has to say about working with Tom Baker in Blackadder:

Tom Baker played a seadog called Captain Redbeard Rum. His performance was superb, and he himself was entirely charming. While a scene that didn't involve him was being rehearsed he would disappear and return with a tray fully laden with sweets, crisps, chocolates, sandwiches, nuts and snacks, which he would hand round to everyone in the room, often nipping off again to reload. During his Doctor Who days he had been quite the party animal in the pubs and clubs of London and often used to fetch up at the North Acton rehearsal rooms at three or four in the morning, where friendly security guards would admit him and let him sleep on a rehearsal mat until morning. Production assistants would arrive and wake him up for work. He had a way of gazing at you with grave bulging eyes that made it rather hard to determine whether he thought you an idiot or a god.

And that's just one of many priceless descriptions. Definitely a must-read.


13 Ways of Looking at the Novel - Jane Smiley
Like Reading Like a Writer, this is a book where an American female novelist describes some tricks of the trade you can learn by reading the works of other novelists through the ages. Unlike that book, though, this one also features thorough reviews of the 100 101 books the author read and noted for what is meant to be the main section (the 13 ways of looking at the novel), but which ended up becoming lengthier than said section. An interesting read.