A Century of Books: some catch-up mini-reviews

I’m actually doing rather better in A Century of Books than my tally has been looking, to date – and that’s because there are quite a few titles that I haven’t reviewed. And, for one reason or another, I don’t want to write full reviews of all of these – so, instead, I’ll do a quick round-up of some of the other books I’ve been reading… in date order. (And more reviews to come shortly!)

1925: The Human Machine by Arnold Bennett

This was an audiobook, and I think it might have been serialised much earlier, but Wikipedia says 1925 so I’m going to believe it. It’s a rather odd self help book, in which Bennett spends much of the time saying over and over that people don’t train their brain enough, or control their emotions enough, but doesn’t come up with much concrete advice other than ‘concentrate your mind for half an hour every day’. To be honest, I was listening more out of interest in social and literary history than to receive any self help advice, and for that it was an entertaining angle on Arnold Bennett. (Whenever I write about him, the Arnold Bennett Society pop up – so hello guys!)

1959: The Young Ones by Diana Tutton

I would do a full review of this, but I had to read it in the Bodleian (since secondhand copies are rarer than hen’s teeth) and I don’t feel like I can write a review without the book in front of me. It’s about a brother and sister and their adopted sister, and the various emotional tangles they get into – including the brother and adopted sister falling in love. But that is the least of the tangles… It’s written with the confident wit and ever-so-slight surrealism of Tutton – not as wonderful as Guard Your Daughters (and indeed what is?) but I think very deserving of being back in print nonetheless.

2013: Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

I’ve read one previous memoir about the devastation of the 2004 tsunami, Simon Stephenson’s brilliant Let Not The Waves of the Sea – and Sonali Deraniyagala’s memoir tells of being in the midst of it, losing her husband, parents, and two children. What makes the book so powerful is that she doesn’t attempt to retrospectively explain the grieving process, but just tells us what she did – even when it’s as odd as terrorising the family who moved into her house. Stark and astonishing book.

2017: Scribbles in the Margins by Daniel Gray

I love a book about books, and one that’s inspired by J.B. Priestley’s Delight is likely to be, indeed, a delight. This is a fun look through the different things that readers love doing, and different reading habits, but it is very light on actual books. That means its potential audience is much wider – and I imagine it was rather a stocking filler last year – but it’s not got a huge amount to get your teeth into. A very enjoyably diverting read, of course – but expect it to be what it is!