I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devouring it in a single sitting. Like his previous novel, The Higher Realm, Friel shows sensitivity to society's outsiders and imbues the story with a sense of the macabre. Henry James is a strong influence in this novel and with the central theme of unrequited love I couldn't help thinking about Colm Toibin's characterization of the chaste and lonely James in his bio-novel, The Master.
The Posthumous Affair opens in New York, where the handsome Little Man meets the Fat Princess and together they play with a red balloon in Washington Square. Despite her youth, she falls in love, a love that will persist throughout her life as she travels to Venice, and then to other countries before returning to Italy. But it is a painful love, one that is unlikely to be fully appreciated in this lifetime. This book is not only about physical love, but also about the love of writing. Both protagonists become novelists: first the Fat Princess, and then, with her patronage, the Little Man.
A central theme of this book is the potential of fiction to create a world richer than the one we live in. In place of living fully herself, the Fat Princess plunders the lives of others, paying people for their life stories as subject matter for her books. But it is not only the central characters who are so affected by the power of fiction. Friel himself, and by implication you, the reader, participate in the admission that books are sometimes safer than human relationships; it is only in reading and perhaps writing them that we can escape our lumpen misshapen bodies and fly.
Julia recently left university, and embarked on a career in publishing, Julia spends all day surrounded by books - from the manuscripts and production copies filling the office, to her overstacked shelves at home. Working in rights and pursuing freelance editorial work on the side, she also harbours ideas of writing for herself... starting with books review for Byte the Book.
Click on the links below to read her reviews:
The Scientists by Marco Roth
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Patience by John Coates
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson
The Adrian Mole Diaries by Sue Townsend
Starstruck by Rachel Shukert
Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani
The View on the Way Down by Rebecca Wait
The Anchoress by Paul Blaney
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver
Review by Julia Newhouse
The Scientists by Marco Roth is honest insightful and well written. The tale of a young man’s (true) journey into adulthood against the background of a dysfunctional New York Jewish family battling with the secret of a father who is dying from AIDS, this doesn’t seem like the kind of book that I would readily relate to. Marco Roth’s life has been entirely different to my own - I am a woman, not American, and the increasingly rare product of a wonderful childhood and loving, stable, ‘normal’ parents. As such, I can’t relate to a childhood spelled out against a particular backdrop of secrecy and dysfunction (which is not to say without love). What I can relate to is the inner-voice that Roth captures. The inner voice, and the journey of introspection that he has not only eloquently laid out on the page, but also carefully considered for himself.
Roth is clearly an incredibly intelligent man- he is the kind of man who would likely outsmart me at a dinner party - but he is not the sort of man who I would resent for doing this. Throughout the text, Roth references and critiques literary works and pieces of theory from Oblomov to the ideas of Paul de Man. He discusses both these theories in a wider context, as well as how they relate to his life, and that of the father who introduced him to literature. Many of these names flitted into my academic consciousness over the course of my University life. I never, however, warmed to theory in the same way that Roth clearly has. In this way¸ Roth’s intellectual world is familiar to me, though I cannot say that I belong to it. What I can say, is that I enjoyed the theory and literature that underpin the personal biographical aspects of The Scientists, and that these references play an interesting role in not only explaining Roth’s thinking, but also explaining something about Roth and his father, and the relationship they had built through literature.
I loved this book. Simply loved it. Roth’s considered, careful writing suggest that Roth is both a good writer, and a smart man who, though intimidating in some capacity, is at his core as insecure as the rest of us. Marco Roth’s life has not been one of exceptional fame or infamy, as so many biographies or autobiographies are. His life has been out of the ordinary in much of what he has achieved, as well as the family background that produced him- including the secret of his father’s death to AIDS. I found The Scientists fascinating because it is both a beautifully honest introspective novel, as well as crackingly well written book.
I guested on Strictly Writing this week, I thoroughly recommend the site for writers everywhere... here's the article
Tell us a little about Byte the Book…
Byte the Book is a writing and publishing collective with authors at its core. We champion quality writing and embrace opportunities to connect writers with readers in the digital age. Our website seeks to raise the profile of new and established writers and illustrators, while connecting with readers through reviews and discussion forums. Offline, we run networking events for publishers, writers, agents and developers, and book clubs for readers.
The Byte the Book community also encompasses a wide range of complementary services to support its members, including consultancy, PR & marketing, sales partnerships, courses, and editing.
What’s your own background and how did you get started with BTB?
I have always had a passion for books; both writing and reading and, more recently, I developed an interest in publishing. I spent nine years working in business development for an IT company, during which time I indulged my passion by writing, enrolling in various writing courses and groups, and co-founding a company set-up to publish shorter fiction, www.apisbooks.com.
In writing groups I was often impressed by the quality of my classmates’ work, yet unimpressed by the lack of opportunities for them to make money. I felt that there must be a way for the writer to profit directly, rather than through existing routes, and thought that I could use my understanding of how technology has disrupted other industries’ business models to help make that happen. So I came up with the concept of a collective for writers who support each other, both online and offline, to publish their writing. I quickly realised that I also needed to bring in readers to balance this ecosystem.
In 2011 I quit my job, registered Byte the Book as a company and started building the website. I also took various consultancy roles in the publishing industry to help build my knowledge of the business. I launched the website, networking events and book clubs in April 2012, and it’s grown from there.
Who do you envision as your target audience?
Essentially Byte the Book consists of two overlapping audiences: readers and creators.
The latter forms the nucleus of the Byte the Book membership - those that come to the networking events and take an active part in the community. This is mainly made up of aspiring and established writers, publishing professionals, agents, editors, developers, illustrators, entrepreneurs and investors who want to understand more about new digital opportunities.
The website reaches both audiences. There are book reviews and impartial recommendations for readers as well as information on how to find or set up one of our book clubs. The site is also a place for writers and illustrators to showcase their work and for agents to discover new talent.
Our book clubs are free and open to anyone who wants to chat about books. I’m also working on creating a more specialised book club for writers.
How do people get involved?
Byte the Book is an active community that welcomes new members. Anyone who is interested can book to come to a networking event or book club here.
Writers can send in a short story or excerpt and we’ll consider it for the writers’ showcase. Writers interested in reviewing books should also get in touch.
We’re looking to add editors, illustrators and other publishing freelancers to our network, so they should get in touch and, ideally, attend a networking event.
What has the reaction been so far – has anything surprised you?
Overwhelmingly positive. I’ve been amazed how quickly our name has spread in the industry and how well-attended our events are. Writers have found agents, people have found work, and the attendees have been very positive about the calibre of speakers, topics and networking opportunities. We’ve had over 3,000 unique visitors to the website since it went live and we are now starting to generate revenue through membership subscriptions, sponsorship and tickets for the networking events. My biggest surprise is how quickly it has all grown.
Have there been any learning curves on the way – anything you’d do differently?
It has all been a very steep learning curve but it also feels as though I’m incorporating all my past experience. Sometimes I wish I’d started BtB earlier, but then I realise that I probably wouldn’t have been ready to do it then.
Many people think mainstream publishing is in crisis – do you think it will survive the digital revolution?
It’s in flux, not crisis. An evolution more than a revolution: not unlike the Guttenberg press automating production, which meant monks were no longer required to handwrite manuscripts; and not unlike Allen Lane taking books to the common man with the first Penguin paperbacks. New technology and social media allow more access to more content and connect readers more closely with writers. These advances broaden the publishing landscape and present huge opportunities for writers to earn more from their work. As Joanna Penn said at a Future Human event recently, ‘The readers, not the publishers, are now the gatekeepers’.
At the moment there is still a stigma to digital-only publishing; do you think that will change?
Yes, I do. I think it is a mistake for people to separate “Digital” from “Traditional”. Technology adds new and alternative routes to market and any successful author or publisher should be embracing the most relevant combination of routes for them. Personally, I prefer to read digitally, but it’s the ideas in books that are important to me, not the format of those books, and I’m keen for those ideas to be delivered efficiently to as wide an audience as possible.
How do you see Byte the Book progressing?
I’d like it to become a one-stop-shop for writers to realise their writing ambitions: the place to get support and professional advice on their work, to learn how to embrace new technologies, to find an agent or publisher, or advice on self publishing. And we envisage both readers and writers coming to Byte the Book to find out about new books and to connect with like-minded readers.
It would be great if, in years to come, people view Byte the Book as a company that has broken down barriers in publishing and contributed to the democratisation of the book in the digital age.
Buy this book
When the heavily pregnant Jane relocates to Berlin to be with her German lover, she finds herself drawn into drama, believing that one of her seemingly respectable neighbours is abusing his teenage daughter. Isolated by her inability to speak the native language and her lover’s punishing work schedule, she becomes increasingly paranoid – but has she really unearthed dark secrets, or is it all in her head?
There’s much to love in Welsh’s taut thriller: she ably captures the atmosphere of Berlin, a city still steeped in its own difficult history, and she cleverly keeps you guessing as to what is the truth of a complicated situation, and what is the result of Jane’s own imagination and a reaction to her own difficult past. Left alone while her partner is on a business trip, she quickly spirals, but while she could simply be negatively interpreting events, everything – from the possible abuse to her lover’s suspected infidelity to the paternity of the child she has conceived via a donor – is plausible enough to keep racking up the doubts. It’s also refreshing to see a gay relationship portrayed so matter-of-factly: although Welsh doesn’t shy away from the consequences of being gay (Jane’s motives are repeatedly questioned by those too ready to believe her interest in a teenage girl are not as pure as they may seem), it’s not what the story is about.
Unfortunately the novel is let down by an unconvincing, inconclusive and hurried ending that undoes much of its good work, and is liable to leave you frustrated. Still, if you like your psychological thrillers creepy and tightly wound, this book is worth checking out.
We're intrigued by best selling author's Louise Voss and Mark Edwards literary lunch next Friday 7th September at 1pm in Teddington.
It sounds like a bit of bargain too, just £14.50 for a delicious three course lunch at the Retro Bistrot in Teddington, followed by a talk from Louise and Mark describing their journey from starting to write together to becoming the first UK self-published authors to reach number 1 in both the Amazon Kindle and Amazon fiction charts.
If you're keen to go along please get in touch with Teddington Waterstones on 0208 977 6883 or via e-mail at manager@teddington.waterstones.com.
Red Button Publishing is a brand new digital fiction imprint. It's been set up by Karen Ings and Caroline Goldsmith who together have nearly three decades' experience in trade publishing. They've lived and breathed the digital publishing revolution and are both converts to the e-book format. Passionate about great fiction and excited by the opportunities opened up by digital publishing, they decided to take the leap and launch Red Button Publishing in the summer of 2012. Their aim is to bring stories that jump off the digital page to the ever-growing ebook audience.
They're looking for new fiction from great writers. Thrillers that keep you up at night, romances that make you cry, horror that gives you nightmares, dramas that make you think: all genres will be considered.
They are regulars at Byte the Book networking events so make sure you say hello to them and if you've got a novel you think they might want to publish then get in touch with them either at one of our events or by visiting their website www.redbuttonpublishing.net. They are really keen to hear from you.
Buy this book
Comedy writer, Steve Hely's narrator and hero or anti-hero is Pete Tarslaw, a lazy, degenerate lay-about who is also smart and self-deprecating. I loved him immediately. His recollection of attending university was that "I could do whatever I wanted, which it turned out was not very much plus drinking".
Pete's world is turned upside down when he received an invitation to the wedding of his ex-girlfriend. Driven by the familiar urge we all have to somehow defeat those who have broken our hearts, Pete decides to become a novelist. Other motivations include a general wish for riches and a writerly charisma powerful enough to seduce some college girls.
Pete does his research in the local bookstore and lays out his rules of writing a bestseller. A highlight of this book for me, and one of the many moments that I cried with laughter was the fictional bestseller list at the end of chapter two. Pete writes his novel, "The Tornado Ashes Club", a book that includes a murder, an innocent man accused, a road trip and flashbacks to the Great Depression, the Second World War and post-war Mediterranean and Peru, with a country singer thrown.
The rest of the book is a delightful send-up of the publishing industry, book critics and the writer’s Mecca, Hollywood. Publishers are compared to frantic parents, desperately hurling toys at a the reader, a screaming toddler, praying that something stops the whining. Critics are derided as unspeakable beasts: “what monster chooses the job of telling people how bad different books are?”
Each chapter is opened by an extract from Pete’s book or one of the other delightful caricatures that inhabit Hely’s fictional literary world. It’s clear that Hely is a great writer to understand how to write so fantastically badly. The latter half of the book loses momentum after the “car crash” that is the ex’s wedding but the ending is brilliant and left me, a devoted book lover, with a glimmer of hope for the literary world.
Buy this book
Review by Caroline Goldsmith
Jon Ronson is a really entertaining writer, and his self-deprecating manner, great humour and boundless curiousity are really put to great use in “The Psychopath Test”. The initial chapters cover the unravelling of a mystery surrounding a set of intriguing packages sent to leading neurologists around the world. The trail leads Ronson to Sweden and a slightly unsatisfactory conclusion to our puzzle. The book really picks up pace when Ronson discovers Canadian Psychologist, Bob Hare, the creator of the fabled twenty question “Psychopath Test”, supposedly the definitive questionnaire for diagnosis.
As a reader, it’s easy to feel privileged that you have stumbled upon such powerful knowledge. The twenty questions are simple and I defy anyone to read this book and not start glancing sideways at friends, acquaintances and bosses with new perspective. What is utterly terrifying is the dawning realisation that, if the test is accurate, the world is peopled with psychopaths. Scarier still, is the endless catalogue of recognised psychiatric conditions that Ronson leafs through and the realisation that in the eyes of the professionals none of us would be completely “normal”.
The characters in Ronson’s books are all the more compelling because they are real and here is no exception. We meet callous capitalists and all round awful boss, Al Dunlap; deluded Haitian war-lord Toto Constant; and “Tony” a criminal who claims to have faked madness so successfully that he is now trapped in Broadmoor unable to convince his doctor’s of his sanity.
I was disappointed that Ronson didn’t dig a little deeper with his investigations. It’s a vast and fascinating subject and I felt that the book did little other than scratch the surface, leaving me sighing in frustration as I scanned the length bibliography at the back. However, for an entertaining and sometimes frightening introduction to a fascinating topic, you can’t go wrong.
Although I like to think of myself as a lover of high-brow culture, perhaps, like Neve, the main character in this enjoyable novel by Sarra Manning, I have to admit that I do like a bit of chick lit once in a while. This is especially true when the chick lit is well-written and has interesting subject matter, both of which are true of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me. I really motored through this book, and I feel confident that any woman who has ever had any body issues will enjoy it, too--i.e. pretty much every woman I know.
Neve Slater is an Oxford graduate who works as archivist, and she has recently lost a tonne of weight. She's slimmed down slowly over three years, by exercising and eating sensibly. She's completely besotted with her best friend from Oxford, William, who happens to have been away for the last three years, and so has missed the transformation. He's due back at the end of the summer and Neve is determined to get down to a size 10 by his return. As she's never had a boyfriend before, she wants to perfect her dating technique before falling into William's arms. Her skinny sister, Celia, works for a fashion magazine, Skirt, and takes Neve out for the evening to a magazine do, in an attempt to help her find a boyfriend. Much to Celia's dismay, Neve ends up going home with Skirt's resident lathario, Max. However, through the course of this book we realise that neither Max nor William are quite what they seemed, and that perhaps it's Neve, not society, who is too vain.
Not only was the subject matter interesting to me, I felt really skinny reading this book (apparently it's not only Neve who is vain). I thought the writing was very wise and honest, offering a glimpse into the absurd world of female beauty. It is very light and easy reading that still manages to make you think and see the world a little bit clearer.
