"Midnight's Children", by Salman Rushdie

Novel, 1981



Towering novel, charting the story of the main narrator, Saleem Sinai and the formation and early history of India and Pakistan following partition in 1948. This is a book which needs a level of immersion, although despite the narrative tricks and freewheeling scenes and relationships between characters, it's not overly smart or tricksy. So, a great balance in a tome which punches a huge emotional and political weight, while taking the reader on a life journey, both of the main character, the other 'children' of the title and the sub-continent. Richly rewarding.

"Absolutely Anything", directed by Terry Jones

Movie, 2015

Slight, puffy comedy which never hits its stride, never really delivers the killer laugh, but at the same time, isn't that bad a film. Absolutely Anything feels like an outdated situation comedy with a touch of ludicrous science-fiction with a wheezing plot and daft devices. Still, it's neither a film which demands to be taken too seriously, nor is it savage satire. Overall, the commendable points are slightly lost and just outshot by the less successful points. But really, not that bad.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", directed by Guy Ritchie

Movie, 2015

Sleek, shiny, inevitable cash-in on the 1960s spy thriller, whose production, politically, comes at a very interesting time. This is a film whose tongue is quite rightfully and respectfully in its cheek, but which isn't  as warm or charming as its source material. For all its slick delivery, the twenty-first century version feels hurried and stuck together. The conversion of Illya Kuyakin to a muscle bound intellectual doesn't entirely work, while Napolean precariously wavers between smug and charming. Perhaps it's meant to be; and the film, despite shortcomings, is very entertaining.

"The Rum Diary", by Hunter S Thompson

Novel, 1998

Pre-Gonzo and pretty straightforward story of a journalist boozing, fighting and 'loving' his way through Puerto Rico. This is Hunter S Thompson long before the hilarious twitching paranoia and cynicism of his more celebrated writing. This book's fine, although feels very sketchy in places, exactly as if markers were being left to finish later. While enjoyable enough, the novel doesn't hold a candle to later work, which is far more gusty, gutsy and original. Still, a diverting read and an easy one too.

"You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger", directed by Woody Allen

Movie, 2010

Even what feels like a slightly underwritten Woody Allen film hits home harder than most social comedies, which is certainly the case in this story of a set of couples teetering between, in and out of relationships.
Allen's films usually end with loose ends addressed if not always neatly tied and characters often getting what's coming to them. This isn't wholly the case here, which isn't to the film's detriment. But still, the plot development is easy for the most of the film, with an endearing, warm set of character. An enjoyable watch.

"The Reader", directed by Stephen Daldry

Movie, 2008

Rather fraught, gloomy and affecting film, humanising an SS concentration camp guard and telling of her downfall through the eyes of a lover she briefly takes after the war. While there's not much in the way of subtlety or surprise here, an atmosphere of decay and the struggle to rebuild is beautifully evoked through settings and acting. Ultimately, this is a tough film to watch, but it's compelling and raises a number of questions about love, duty, honour and history.

"The Big Midweek" by Stephen Hanley and Olivia Piekowski

Non-fiction, 2014

Sardonic, celebratory account of Stephen Hanley's two decades playing bass guitar for The Fall. It would have been quite easy for Hanley to have ranted, although in his balanced descriptions, band members are brought to life and what feel like balanced recollections are made. Highs comfortably balance the lows with a claustrophobic inevitability setting in from the early 1990s, at around the time Brix Smith then Martin Bramah left the band. Excellent writing; compulsive Fall fan reading.