Reading week book reviews

Another Brooklyn, details the story of August’s coming of age in 1970s Brooklyn. Woodson’s lyrical prose depicts life on the fringes of society, while also presenting struggles with grief, black girlhood, and religion. The theme of memory permeates the novel, the non chronological structure and all that is left unsaid, renders you free to drift through time with August. Personally, I find (if done well) short books to be more powerful, yet, Another Brooklyn did not impact me or affect me in the way many have – e.g. Claire Keegan’s, Foster. The style and the concept both appealed to me and, in all fairness, were parts I really enjoyed. However, the ending was too abrupt, as if my time with the characters had been cut short for no logical reason. This book, while beautifully written, was not able to create the emotional effect it had the potential for.

By Alex Evans

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell can only be described as a fiery feminist retelling of the short-lived, Duchess of Ferrara. Inspired by Robert Browning’s poem My Last Duchess, this gem of historical fiction captures the voice of Lucrezia de’ Medici, who was no longer a portrait possession of the duke but a witty young girl fighting to escape the monstrous man; her husband. O’Farrell perfectly captures the ruthless aesthetic of the Italian Renaissance, dripping with lavish oil paints, pearls and poison. In a world where powerful men are hungry wolves, and girls are married off like lambs to slaughter, will Lucrezia ever be able to escape her tragic fate? For lovers of revisionist history and resilient heroines, The Marriage Portrait is the lush, rich retelling you’ve been waiting for.

By Matilda Wright

Katabasis (Greek for journey to the underworld) follows doctorate students Alice and Peter who need letters of recommendation from their advisor. However, in the event of his unexpected death they must travel into hell to retrieve him. With such a beautiful design, this is a book you can definitely judge by its cover. With lovable, complex characters and fascinating world building, Kuang creates a vivid representation of the afterlife.

Inspired by myths and literatures such as Dante’s Inferno, and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Kuang creates a piece of brilliantly nonsensical literature to portray the chaos of the underworld. The only consistency is the intricate magic system, routed in the power of humanity. In all R.F. Kuang fictional works she uses unique magic systems to highlight the underlying messages of her works. In Katabasis, she represents humanities power of creation and philosophy in face of the larger unconquerable power of death.

This magic system represents hope in institutions such as universities, with the backdrop of a campus/ dark academia novel while criticising the harsh realities of romanticised institutions such as Oxbridge. As an alumnus of Cambridge, Oxford, and Yale, she depicts difficulties faced by women and disabled people in academic institutions.

In conclusion, Katabasis is a brilliant piece of literature, with an epic plot with interesting characters. It is a story of romance and hardship exploring philosophical questions surrounding death, morality, and humanity.

By India Childs

Recently, I’ve been exploring books that have been adapted for TV, and this month’s book is Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada. I attempted this book when I was about fourteen, and I couldn’t really get through the first chapter, but a couple of weeks ago, I decided to give it a second go, and I’ve really enjoyed it the second time around.

In my opinion, it is a really well-written book, with very realistic dialogue between characters, and a great sense of what it is like to be part of a tense working environment. From the acknowledgements at the beginning of the book (yes, I read everything!), Weisberger mentions her former boss, I quote, ‘Easy to love him now that I no longer have to see him before nine a.m. each day.’ This suggests that the author is drawing from experience, which may be why the book is written so successfully anecdotally, and with such realism.

I decided to give it a second go, and I’ve really enjoyed it the second time around

The main reason I have been working through film adapted books is so that I can see how linked, and true to the original story they are, and it is safe to say that the film adaption certainly takes a lot from the book, but there are some differences:

As with many film adaptions from books, the books are generally a lot more detailed, particularly in terms of character detail, setting and plot. Films, to avoid them being too long, are generally more concise and simplified. An example of this in the book is the character detail of Miranda Priestly, the protagonist, Andy Sachs’, infamously hard-to-please boss. In the book, there is explanation to how Miranda’s career grew, and how she became so cold in personality, and where she began before she became a success; the film in this sense lacks this, which is why I love books: there’s just so much more depth.

The film in this sense lacks this, which is why I love books: there’s just so much more depth

Another difference is that the film missed out some key details from the first 6 chapters of the book, such as Andy Sachs’ house hunting and her family dynamic, and some comical interactions with the security guard from the Elias-Clark building.

There’s certainly some iconic scenes that the film has to offer, but the book is so detailed, so realistic and occasionally funny. I would definitely recommend this read.

By Becky Crowther