Elinor’s Bookshelf

My rating: In this second part of the House of Cards trilogy, Francis Urquhart, now Prime Minister, takes on none other than the King, both the man and all he stands to represent. The story is well-documented, certainly drawing on Michael Dobbs’ experience as editorial assistant and feature writer, then politician for the Conservative party. Some of the issues seem close to his heart - and his right wing penchant is rather obvious. It was interesting to get an insider’s view of the workings of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, as well as of how Madam Speaker (miraculously) prevents total mayhem. This felt less suspenseful, more linear than the first volume. The characters are nicely fleshed out but the intrigue seems long-winded, abruptly resolving at the end with the customary twist. It was a good read but lacked the extra spark of the first volume (or perhaps I just read it at the wrong time/in the wrong mood). I will be reading The Final Cut as definitely want to ...

My rating: “The Adventures Of The Black Girl In Her Search For God”, published in 1932, must have been viewed as unconventional, perhaps even heretic. In this short story, Shaw’s wit and humour shimmer on the surface at times, but it is a rather more solemn affair than Pygmalion . This is definitely Shaw the polemicist, and/or political activist writing. A second part was later added to the book (included in this version) in which Shaw gives context to his "black girl allegory" against a backdrop of worldwide crisis. The tale tells the story of a black girl converted to Christianity. Dissatisfied with her missionary’s answers to her questions, she sets off to find answers herself in a quite literal interpretation of “seek and you shall find.” And she does find quite an army of Gods and Messiahs, and Scientists along the way. If we compare it to contemporary thinking about the scriptures, Shaw’s views are somewhat outdated (but perhaps he contributed to creating what are...

My rating: Wow! I can’t remember the last time I read a book quite this fast. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was GREAT! Mikael Blomkvist is a financial reporter for Millenium. He gets torn down by a major financier after publishing an article that gets him in prison for libel. Lisbeth Salander is a tattooed and pierced asocial young woman, who “has issues” . She works as a private investigator, and happens to be Sweden’s best. Henrik Vanger is an old man. He wants to know who killed his granddaughter Harriet some 40 years ago. Will Blomkvist be able to solve this decade long mystery? This turned out to be a suspenseful thriller, an absolute page-turner. I got properly freaked out at times. I loved the pace of this book, nicely reflecting the time, characters and places. What also sets this book aside from other great thrillers is the writer’s pursuit of causes he finds important: 1. The strengths and shortcomings of the guardianship system in Sweden; 2. Violence against women,...

My rating: This was my first Bernard Shaw (I know, I know...!) and I love the subject matter: class privilege and linguistics - a perfect combination. Add to that a layer of Greek mythology, sprinkled with humour, and you get Pygmalion by George B. Shaw and, after further adaptation, My Fair Lady by Lerner and Loewe (1956). I found Shaw’s interpretation of the mythology very revealing of how ahead of his times he was, from class privilege, to women’s rights. Higgins (“the sculptor”) is particularly well characterised. George B. Shaw clearly intends to use Higgins’ layers and contradictions humorously, to get his messages across. One of these opinions is particularly countercurrent: if a woman can’t sell anything, is she not left with only herself to sell? “My Fair Lady” is the musical adaptation of Shaw’s piece, with a few subtle changes, as well as a more classic interpretation of the mythological Pygmalion. I must say I prefer Shaw’s ending, but can’t say any more without spoi...