"The Hired Man," by Aminatta Forna

Novel, 2013

A tale of newcomers and a change in the pace and habits of a Croatian village, which becomes increasingly evident as a scene of recent catastrophe and intense ongoing tension. The mix of domestic woes, individuals adapting to altered situations and the huge, savage history underlying the setting is, in the main, effective, even if the pacing might have tightened up a little at the beginning of the novel. The sense of allegory and incidents foreshadowing and echoing events revealed later in the narrative probably makes this a good book for re-reading.

"Seance on a Wet Afternoon", directed by Bryan Forbes

Movie, 1964

A film looking at desperation in the English suburbs at a time when the swinging 60s was really kicking off. This is a film in which credibility and motivations are stretched, but which carries a powerful punch in looking and presenting a world teetering on the brink of insanity. Some great camerawork and music give a really tense atmosphere, as the main characters battle with each other and a situation running out of control. Gloriously overblown and entertaining for it.

"Into the Wild", directed Penn

Movie, 2007

Story of society drop out who graduates form college, then bums across the USA before ending up leading a mouth to hand existence in an old school bus in Alaska. A mixture of uplifting frontier anti-establishment action and some more toe-curing material every now and again, of the primacy and spirituality of the individual. Overall, pretty good, although could perhaps have benefited from a little more rigorous editing. A true story, so some nice steers away from the bleedin' obvious avenues the plot may have dived into.

Poster - https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11893732

"Eraserhead," directed by David Lynch

Movie, 1977

Eerie characters, settings, situations and morality. Everything in this tale of domestic life is eerie. Horrific at times - most of the time - but stylistically and surrealistically so, through hissing radiators, apparitions, deformed dancers, even more deformed babies and a cast of gruesome characters. This is a film worth enduring, though it truly is a test of endurance, showcasing themes and motifs played out in the director's later works. Not enjoyable as such, but hugely perplexing and there's no doubting the power of a dark imagination is truly at work.

"Otley," by Martin Waddell

Novel, 1966

Twisting plot concerning small time antiques thief who gets embroiled in espionage and counter espionage. This is a book which spins perhaps an over-sized cast of despots a little too quickly and although well written, doesn't quite do enough to grab and arrest the attention. A tongue in cheek, anti-establishment flavour root it in the time in which it was written. Not a problem, but despite a light, readable feel, the parts don't all add up to an entirely enjoyable whole.

"The Smallest Show on Earth", directed Basil Dearden

Movie, 1957

Cost British comedy in the Ealing mould about the little guy prevailing over the big American corporate, this time in the guise of a battle between two cinemas in a town in southern England. Some good scenes and nice settings, yes, although this is formulaic stuff, even if some of the supporting players act up a storm. A nice familiar whiff or moral ambiguity keeps things fairly interesting, though in fairness, and although charming, not a film to hold out for and make a real point of seeing. Nice entertainment, all the same.

"Faceless Killers" by Henning Mankell

Novel, 1991

In many ways, this is as formulaic a detective book as you could hope for; what sets it aside is the gloomy unrelenting atmosphere and sense of things breaking, from anti-hero Wallander's appalling diet, to the sense of a terrifying new world of race and other savage crimes to the bleak weather. Even the coffee's cold most of the time. The odd happier incident ensures the book isn't an outright mire, but there's a distinct lack of celebration in this compelling read which is all too often quashed by humanity.