Carol Naylor's REVIEW it...

"A Spielbergian radiance" emanates from start to finish. There is one certainty in life and that is we will all die at some point in time. Sorry to be so morbid but somethings we have to accept as inevitable. Hopefully you'll see my point soon. Moggach's novel was published in 2004 as These Foolish Things. It is a cathartic experience for the readers as well as the retirees who seek a different life in their twilight years and their families who come to visit. The Marigold, Bangalore and India prove to be a turning point in their lives rather like Robert Frost's crossroads in The Road Not Taken where the retirees can reflect on their lives, past, present and future. The Marigold may not be the best or the most exotic of final destinations, it is a home for old people where the residents will contemplate their mortality and die peacefully. " A little corner of Britain. An oasis of olde-worlde charm in the hustle and bustle of modern Bangalore." ...

                      A Bike Ride Through My Life. Frank Clements. Frank Clements admits that there were " so many ups and downs" in his life, personally and professionally but his positive attitude of: "always look on the bright side of life" became his saving grace. He was ambitious and that is clearly evident when reading his autbiography. In his early days as an amateur cyclist, before becoming a semi-pro then a pro he wanted to be "the best cyclist in the world." A wonderful dream. Later he lamented:" I should have won a gold medal"in the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia. He just missed being a member of the team. " I was a likely contender." "It was 50/50 between Harry and me." Harry Reynolds. As it turned out, ironically, the French won the gold and England the silver. The book is a comprehensive account of cycling during the 50s and 60s and the development of...

Did you know that 1 million Biafrans died during the 3 year civil war in the late 60s? Adichie grew up in the shadow of Biafra and dedicated the book to her grandfathers in particular who died as refugees and to honour the collective memory of an entire nation. "If you want to understand a country's soul read its fiction." ( Emily Carter Roiphe) This is precisely what Adichie does and I agree wholeheartedly with her. In Adichie's second novel what she describes as "emotional truth" an empathetic human quality, hopefully a recognisable trait, is portrayed through harrowing images of torture, mutilation and explicitly graphical images of massacres and human carnage. It is a story but shockingly real and historically accurate and is regarded as one of the most painful episodes in Nigerian history. Half of a yellow sun was an emblem worn by the Biafrans who were hopeful for independence from Nigeria. The turmoil within African politics was seen as a "br...

  I cheated, yes I did. I watched the film then I read the story. Isn't it supposed to be the other way round? Oh well. I loved both of them and admit to having a bit of a cry when it seemed that Joey wasn't going to pull through. This is the second Morpurgo story that I have reviewed and I am already searching for the next one in keen anticipation. He is a wonderful writer. In a tv interview he talked about his motivation in writing War Horse to show how the second world war has torn the world apart and this comes across poignantly in the film with the massacre of human as well as animal life. Morpurgo was in the Duke of York. He was asked if he was writing anything at that time. He told the man he had come across an old painting of a cavalry charge during the first world war.One or two of the horses were caught up on the barbed wire. Morpurgo explained that he was trying to write a story about this war seen through the eyes of a horse.......    Albert works on a...

To experience excitement in the world we live in must be an utopian dream. Wonderful. To understand and experience evil, danger and to be terrorised through political supremacy and religious fanaticism leading to total annihilation of human life is not only a violation of human rights it reeks of insanity. Terror. Sheer terror. Cope sums it up in his intense depiction of Middle East politics and religion in the 70s and how it affected the major powers in the world. In layman's language it is simply "dog eat dog" but with the sophisticated weaponry such as weapons of mass destruction coupled with human knowledge and expertise then it is murder en masse and you'll find plenty of that to engage your interest with espionage, terrorism and an abduction seasoned with touches of romance and sex. Calling it a political minefield is an understatement. When the stakes are high in this cold war, governments and secret services around the world would justify murder, The me...

                            HER FIRST BALL.   KATHERINE MANSFIELD . This is one of fifteen stories taken from The Garden Party and Other Stories written in 1921 and published the following year. I vaguely remember the girlish excitement of applying warpaint, donning the shortest of minis and the highest of heels to my father's displeasure at my tarty attire, heading down to the Mecca or Cinderella Rockerfellow's ( one of Pete Stringfellow's clubs ) in Leeds, during the 60s and early 70s. Nostalgia seen in Before You Were Mine by Carol Ann Duffy poet laureate, replicated. The connection? Dancing, having fun, being irresponsible. wasn't it wonderful? Mansfield recaptures that excitement, particularly for Leila a village recluse who has not experienced the pleasure of ballroom dancing before and the old-time professionals who dance on a wee...