Book review: The shock of the fall

Goodreads synopsis

‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’
There are books you can’t stop reading, which keep you up all night.
There are books which let us into the hidden parts of life and make them vividly real.
There are books which, because of the sheer skill with which every word is chosen, linger in your mind for days.
The Shock of the Fall is all of these books.
The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness. It is a brave and groundbreaking novel from one of the most exciting new voices in fiction.

The shock of the fall
Author: Nathan Filer
Published: 2013

This book won the 2013 Costa book award and has been surrounded by a lot of hype. For once, I've found a book that warrants all the hype its getting and may even deserve more. 

Nathan Filer's debut novel tells the story of Mathew, a young man and narrator of this novel; his story and experience with Schizophrenia. His voice, among other things, is what makes this work so very special. His narration and the ever fluctuating style of it, adds so much more depth and emotion to an already highly emotional story.

As the story progresses and we follow Mathew and the roller coaster that is his life and dealings with his diagnosis, family, feelings and everyday demons, stories unravel and you feel yourself increasingly empathizing - when he's happy and having a good day, you are jubilant, when he's not doing so well, you desperately wish that you could help. He's a dysfunctional character that you can't help but love and care for.

Its not just the characters and the narrative that makes this such a special story. The writing and choice of phrases (for want of a better description) are absolute genius. So perfect and gut-wretchingly beautiful that they really are haunting. I was going to insert one of my favourite quotes, something that I don't usually do, I thought it would far better illustrate what I'm attempting to say. However, not only did I quickly discover that I wouldn't be able to pick just one, I also realised that I want people to be able to discover the magic for themselves, in its original context rather than within my ramblings.

Because I can't properly express how amazing this book really is, and because I'm beginning to think I'm rambling I'm going to end this review by saying that this novel is honestly one of the most amazing reads, it really is incredible and everyone should read it! 

Rating: 5/5

January: This month I've read

So I'm back. I can't believe I've had to start another post with those words but there they are.

On that note, I wanted to be really honest with you guys. In my previous post about the relationship between University, reading and blogging I stressed that as much as I wanted to be more consistent with my blog (not something that has only been a goal since university - I know I'm not the most consistent) and that I wanted to find strategies which I could adopt so that I, and I hope you, my readers, didn't feel as though I had just abandoned The Bookshelf. It has been something that has been bugging me for a long time and even more since I posted over Christmas, I was really hoping that I could have got more organised, and in a sense motivated with the blog by now. I'm just finding it near impossible. let me be very clear before I carry on ... I am not abandoning this blog, this is not a farewell post!  ... It's just that when I have the time to blog I have no motivation or even worse I haven't read anything and when I have the motivation and have no time ... hence why it is currently gone midnight here in the UK.

Sorry this is so rambly. basically, I will continue blogging when I can and I will continue racking my brains for anyways in which I could make my posting and posts more consistent - I really admire those bloggers who, without fail, publish the best posts each work. I tip my hat to you!

I will post when I can (hopefully I will publish a review of The Shock of the Fall soon) and I hope that you lovely, lovely readers of The Bookshelf can both forgive me for my negligence - it's not what I want to be doing - and continue reading and enjoying. Thank you so much for being so brilliant! Love you all!
So without further ado ... Here's what I read in January:

Goodbye to Berlin
By: Christopher Isherwood
3/5

The Fault in our Stars
By: John Green
4/5

September, October, November, December: This month I've read

Fahrenheit 451
By: Ray Bradbury
4/5

What happens to men when they move to Manhattan? (Sent by author)
By: Jill Knapp
3/5

Will Grayson, Will Grayson
By: John Green and David Levithan
3/5

I am Ella, buy me
By: Joan Ellis
4/5

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
By: Benjamin Alire Saenz
3/5

The shock of the fall
By: Nathan Filer
5/5

University, reading and blogging ...

So its been a while since I've done this; sat down with my laptop and felt like I had something to blog about. The regular visitors among you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything since October and that I haven't posted a 'This month I've read' since the beginning of September. I am really sorry for this. In September I began my first term of university which means that August was dominated by anxiety, planning, shopping and trying to get my head around everything that was happening and September was dominated by moving in, adjusting, lectures, seminars and getting used to once again doing academic work.

In September I read 2 books. In October I read 1. In November I read 2.

There has just been very little time for reading, and therefore very little material for blogging. I can't guarantee that things are going to be different in 2015 as I am well aware that the workload at university is going to get heavier but I do hope it does and I am going to try my very best to set aside some time for reading, hopefully blogging will follow. I love blogging but if there is one thing I have learnt is that it can't be forced - hence the fact that I am making no promises.

I never expected such drastic changes to my reading habits. I feel less inclined to read, I feel less inspired by the books with me - there is a lot less storage in my student room and so I have a lot less books with me than I would like - I feel restricted and boxed in. But! It's Christmas soon, and I am on a break from uni! I can feel my buzz for reading returning (I read Solitaire by Alice Oseman this morning!) and this makes me very excited!

I will be posting a 2014 up post, which will include a look back at the 'Reading resolutions' I made for this year and my reading challenge on Goodreads. I will also try and post a collective  'This month I've read' for September, October, November and December.

If anyone else in university has experienced changes in their reading habits and/or tips on how to balance university work with reading please share :)

Merry Christmas!

Book review: I am Ella, Buy me | Blog tour

This book was sent to me by Leah from @GirlsLoveToRead , who arranged this blog tour on behalf of @JoanSusanEllis, the author.  The book was sent to me in exchange for a honest review.

Goodreads synopsis

'I am a ginger tom. I am a boy racer. I am a housewife. I am a pain in the arse.'

I am Ella, Buy me
Author: Joan Ellis
published: July 2014

The first line sets the tone for Joan's debut novel, I am Ella. Buy me, a fast-paced romantic comedy set in Soho's mad, bad Adland in the sexist 80s. Ella is a woman in a man's world, trying to dodge her sleazy boss and make her way to the top. Faced with losing her job or sleeping with him, Ella turns to her friend, Adam Hart.

Can love help her go from a girl in the firing line to a woman calling the shots?

Based on Joan's experiences asa copywriter in top London advertising agencies, this fun tale is set against a backdrop of Thatcher's Britain where money trumps morals and lust is a must.

In the interests of posting a completely honest review (something I always strive to do) I must admit that I wasn't expecting to like 'I am Ella, buy me', and I definitely took some time to warm to her.

I was expecting a book moaning about the inequalities between men and women in the workplace hidden behind a scathing backdrop of Thatcher's Britain. However, intrigue got the better of me and I agreed to be part of this blog tour. I did feel bad, because it's really hard to write a review of a book you didn't like. Period. But it's even harder to write a review, when you don't like the book and you've had contact with the author – who’s lovely! As it turns out, I'm very glad that I joined the blog tour and there's no awkwardness here. No, I can't claim that it's my favourite book or that I was hooked from the very start but what I can claim, with absolute certainty, is that even if you’re a little dubious you should give Ella a chance. 

She was everything I wasn't expecting and instead was everything I was hoping she would be. She was strong, independent and determined but in being so she also, thank fully, avoided the pitfalls that you so often find with those characters: the 'necessary selfishness' all the way through, the hard exterior that only cracks when that guy comes along. Everything annoys me about strongly written female leads. Ella was different and refreshing. She was strong, she was determined, she was independent and she was sometimes a little selfish but above all she was obviously a person. She was a strong independent character who knew what she wanted and what she would (and wouldn't!) do for the sake of her career. She was relatable. With feelings and a good moral compass she really could be a role model for women, be them finding themselves in a male dominated environment or just going through a hard time in life.

Aiding this relatability and very enjoyable reading experience was the writing style, which was humorous, serious and heart-breaking all wrapped up in 318 pages. The other characters that Ella encountered during those pages, be them wonderful – Wally and Adam – or downright sleaze-balls – Peter, I’m looking at you – were just as dynamic as she was and really bought their own individual perspectives to the then uncommon situation of a women in the heart of the very competitive Adland.

The one downside to this book is that it will make you very hungry constantly, with Ella turning to cake and her best friend when it all gets a bit much (I think we can all relate to that one) the accounts of multiple scoops of ice cream and descriptions of thick slices of cake will soon have you curled up in the chair with the book in one hand and your favourite treat in the other.

I am Ella, Buy me is a thought provoking, and relatable romantic comedy. Fast-paced with just the right amount of sassy and sarky you will find yourself rooting for Ella and the other women in Adland until the very end and beyond. So put your slippers on, grab a slice of cake (and possibly some tissues) and let yourself get drawn in.

Rating: 4/5

Will technology limit or improve the future of books? | Guest post

This post was written for me by Author, Joan Ellis, whose new book 'I am Ella, Buy me' is currently enjoying a blog tour. I am very excited to welcome Joan and Ella to my blog today. Hear Joan's views on technology and the future of books right here, right now and hear my views on I am Ella, buy me later today. Follow Joan on Twitter @JoanSusanEllis. I also highly recommend following Leah from @GirlsLoveToRead who organised this blog tour.


I am a luddite. No point pretending. You’d see right through me. Or your Google-glasses would. I don’t own an e-reader but I am sure it is only a matter of time. I’m a ‘late-adopter’ as marketeers dub people like me who are the last to catch on to gizmos and are forever playing catch-up.

Technology, or rather what technology can do, terrifies me but I’ve learned to love it all the same. (Did I really just say that?) Thanks to mind-boggling wizardry, my first two novels: ‘I am Ella. Buy me’ and ‘The Killing of Mummy’s Boy’ are now available to the world at the touch of a button. How good is that?

Readers can still decide whether or not they engage with technology. They can pick a book off a real shelf or a virtual one. Authors, especially newbies like me, need to ensure their work is available in all formats to reach the maximum number of people. As a writer, I must evolve because we all know what happens when we don’t.

My PC can’t write my books for me (now that would be a tragic day for creativity) but it does make the process much easier. If I’d used a typewriter, I’d still be tapping out the first chapter, drowning in a sea of Tipp-Ex as I corrected, edited and rewrote. Now I just hit delete and Hey Presto! the embarrassing first attempts are relegated to cyber space where no-one can hear me scream. Copy and paste is a miracle. And don’t get me started on the joy of automated page breaks and pagination.

That said, a screen will never take the place of a book in my heart. I love books. They evoke long-forgotten memories in a way no e-reader ever could. Yesterday, I was at my Mother’s house, sorting through some stuff and I came across a box of books she used to read to me as a kid. Each chapter ignited a different emotion as I looked through their gloriously musty pages, marveling at the beautiful illustrations, taking me back to joyful times spent with my Mum. Sometimes she would embellish the tales, going off-book to give an imaginary backstory to one of the characters or even invent a new plotline for them. The animals and children in those books were my friends, making me smile and laugh, teaching me new things. The books, mostly paper, some cloth and others card, came in all shapes and sizes. Being the youngest of four children, the stories had already been read by my brothers and sister. I could still picture them, sitting with Mum, turning the pages and running their fingers along the lines as they followed each word.

I’d never have got all that from a screen.

When it comes to books and technology, it’s the same as most things in life. It’s all about choice. Some days we want nothing more than to kick back with some retro vinyl on the turntable, others times it’s all about you and your iPod.

With technology breaking new boundaries every day, it’s important to keep an open mind as well as an open book.

August: This month I've read

A Monster calls
By: Patrick Ness
4/5

The Goldfinch
By: Donna Tartt
2/5

Lola and the boy next door
By: Stephanie Perkins
4/5

Fahrenheit 451
By: Ray Bradbury
3/5

#LesMisWeek: The Les Miserables Tag | My answers

So, the time has come to wrap up #LesMisWeek ... I'm really sad its over as I've had the best time and I hope that you have too. I am extremely grateful to everyone who wrote guest posts, for the people who helped me behind the scenes and read all the stuff that I sent them over Facebook :P and I am incredibly grateful and touched by all you guys; the people who took the time out of your days to read the blog posts and to share in my love for Les Miserables.

At the beginning of the week, I created The Les Miserables Tag, and said that I would post my answers to it at the end of the week .... It was much harder than I anticipated but here they are:

1) Members of the ABC read a lot and what they read helped to shape their belief  that revolution was needed. What book have you read that has made you want to change the world?

I haven't read a book that I can remember made me jump up and down and want to change the world but I have read a couple books that have made me think very hard about the society we live in, the systems that govern us and the flaws in our own natures. These books were Animal farm by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

2) Jean ValJean has been described as the greatest literary character of all time and the majority of people love him. However, he's a criminal and maybe we shouldn't. what book character also poses a similar moral dilemma?

Julian Carax from The shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. As a book lover I am programmed to dislike anyone who harms books in anyway and so by definition I should have hated this character for his actions but I just couldn't. He was so complex, so damaged. I wanted to help him.

3) Les Miserables is a big book (1232 pages in my edition) but it didn't read like one. Which book did you expect to be a long read but wasn't despite its size?

The fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, by J.K. Rowling. At 766 pages it was a little intimidating but I sat and read the entire thing in two days and I loved it all :D

4) Marius and his grandfather had opposing political views, leading to them not speaking, however in the end differences were forgiven. Which character have you initially disagreed with but forgave and actually liked by the end of the book?

Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling. Something is revealed in the 7th book that makes it a lot easier to like him and does explain his 'issues' in the previous books, but even without the revelation at the end I still quite liked his character, I disliked his personality but I liked him as a character.

5) Gavroche has only a small part in the story and yet does something very important at the barricade. Which minor character, from any book, do you believe deserves more credit?

Ummm .... 

6) Eponine is the victim of unrequited love. Which book character are you in love with but know you could never have because they're in love with someone else?

Cricket Bell from Lola and the boy next door by Stephanie Perkins. That boy is perfection.

7) Cossette wishes she could go to her castle on a cloud so as to escape the terrible realities of her life. If you could escape to any fictional place where would it be?

The Room of requirement in Hogwarts. I can't imagine anywhere better, only the people you want to join you can and you can get whatever you might need. Its the perfect place to relax and re-group.

8) Javert tirelessly pursues Jean ValJean consumed by the belief that he will succeed until something happens that prevents him from bringing him to justice, leaving him bitterly disappointed. Which book do you feel had the most disappointing conclusion?

I've read an annoyingly high amount of books with disappointing conclusions but the most recent one would have to be Oranges are not the only fruit by Jeannette Winterson although to be fair the whole book was a bit dissapointing, but the conclusion just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story and the personalities and previous actions of the characters. 

However, I don't feel that I can talk about disappointing conclusions without mentioning The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. There was absolutely no explanation for what was going on and it just let me feel frustrated.

9) There are some characters in Les Miserables, such as Eponine, whose stories make you want to know more about their background. What character would you love to know more about?

The father from Candor by Pam Bachorz. There must be some reason why he felt the need to build this town, to control people as he does. I would also love to know some more about what happened to the brother and the mother.

10) Which character from Les Miserables would you most like to meet and why?

Javert. He is such an interesting character and I would like to know more about his childhood and upbringing and how those have influenced his decisions later in life ... part of me also wants to shake him and tell him to get his priorities right.

#LesMisWeek: Characters and my opinions.

After seeing the stage version of Les Miserables I wanted to write about the different characters in the book and, how the stage show changed my perceptions of them. I'm not going to include all the characters just the ones that really interested me and those that I want to share my opinions on. I would really love it if people would comment and share their own opinions. This is definitely meant to be a discussion post, so get involved :D

All character descriptions taken from Spark-notes.
CONTAINS SPOILERS

Marius
Character description: The son of Georges Pontmercy, a colonel in Napoléon’s army. Marius grows up in the home of his grandfather, M. Gillenormand, a monarchist. Marius has an identity crisis when he learns the real reason for his separation from his father, and this crisis sets him on the path to discovering himself. An innocent young man, Marius is nonetheless capable of great things and manages both to fight on the barricades and successfully court the love of his life, Cosette.I have issues with Marius that I didn't fully realise until after I had watched the Musical. Only then did I fully understand my frustration with his character. His relationship with Eponine is so unfair, I really got the impression that he knew how Eponine felt about him, and enjoyed stringing her along.
"I love the way you always tease"

Marius as played by Rob Houchen
Les Miserables on the West End

There was also, bearing in mind that the majority of this is based on the Musical, I have yet to see the film, a lot of physical contact between the two, predominantly initiated by Marius. There was a lot of grabbing her hands, hugging her and hair stroking. The only time that I really thought that this was appropriate was at the Barricade ... I felt like he was a bit of a 17th century player (apart from, of course, when he found Cossette). He was a good looking guy, who enjoyed the attention. He definitely had a friendship with Eponine and he definitely benefited and enjoyed it, but he definitely didn't even attempt to spare her feelings.


Eponine
Character description: The Thénardiers’ eldest daughter. Eponine is a wretched creature who helps her parents steal, but she is eventually redeemed by her love for Marius. She proves that no one is beyond redemption, and she ultimately emerges as one of the novel’s most tragic and heroic figures.

Recently, I came across a Les Miserables character quiz on Sparknotes and it got me thinking. The questions had multiple choice answers and asked questions relating to important events in the characters storyline, however I found some of the answers to be a bit ambiguous. One of the questions asked why Eponine went to the barricade, a simple enough question but the choices given as answers included 'because she was in love with Marius' and 'because she was suicidal', and with that we come to the crux of my issue. I do believe that towards the end of the story (and, tragically, her life) she was suicidal, because of, among other reasons, her love for Marius.

Eponine as played by Carrie Hope Fletcher
Les Miserables on the West End

"One more day all on my own
...
One more day with him not caring
...
What a life I might have known

...
Eponine: But he never saw me there!"

She realised that she was never going to be with him and that there was a high chance that she would be forgotten once he and Cossette were married. She wanted to help hem, protect him, and forever be remembered by him. That is the main reason why she wanted to go to the Barricade. I know a lot of people agree with me, but there are also a lot of people who view her as nothing more than a love sick teenager, somewhat under-educated and with no real comprehension of what was going on. Yes, Eponine is a little 'love sick' but she's also a strong, independent character who is fully aware of her situation both romantically and socially, she understand that change needs to happen and she decides to - please excuse the expression - kill two birds with one stone. If she can die, which she knows is very likely to happen, thus ending the pain of seeing Marius with Cossette, whilst helping to give power and change to the people - then she was going to do it. She is the first character I have ever encountered to achieve something both completely selfless and totally selfish in one foul swoop and I admire her greatly for that.

Javert
Character description: A police inspector who strictly believes in law and order and will stop at nothing to enforce France’s harsh penal codes. Javert is incapable of compassion or pity, and performs his work with such passion that he takes on a nearly animal quality when he is on the chase. He nurses an especially strong desire to recapture Valjean, whose escapes and prosperity he sees as an affront to justice. Ultimately, Javert is unable to say with certainty that Valjean deserves to be punished. This ambiguity undermines the system of belief on which Javert bases his life and forces him to choose between hypocrisy and honor.

Javert as played by Russell Crowe
Les Miserables 2012 re-make

I have always considered Javert a complex character, especially concerning his relationship with Jean Valjean and his own place in society. It is indisputable that he is hellbent on recapturing Valjean. However, I feel like his desire to right all the crimes he saw as a child were not the only thing driving his animalistic and, eventually completely irrational, desire to re-capture someone who yes, did wrong, but did he really deserve that degree of persecution? I think, some how, Jean Valjean became Javert's symbol of everything wrong in the world and that was what he was trying to pursue - not the man but the symbol that he had become. I also believe that Javert recognised that the system of law and society that he worked so tirelessly to uphold was wrong, rotten and in need of changing, but he was so stuck in his ways and so damaged by his childhood that he didn't know how to shed his identity. For that's what Javert was, and the only thing he knew how to be; A policeman. His childhood, surrounded by criminals and injustice shaped him so severely and definitely that he was always going to be one side of the law or the other. His suicide, although played to seem as though it was all Valjeans fault was really about what his freedom at the barricade had symbolised. There was no way he could have returned to the force knowing that he had come so close but then had let Valjean go, and he couldn't cope knowing that change was coming. Again, Jean Valjean was the symbol for all the things that Javert couldn't cope with and everything that he wasn't ready to accept and deal with.

#LesMisWeek: Book review: Les Miserables | Re-post

Goodreads synopsis

Les Misérables (1862) ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them onto the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose. Les Misérables gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait which resulted is larger than life, epic in scope - an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.

Les Miserables
Author: Victor Hugo
Published: 1862

It is common knowledge among those who know me that Classics scare me. So when I picked up a copy from my local library (the newly built Dorchester County Library, in case any of you are curious) the sheer size (and weight) of Les Miserables combined with the beautiful  but intimidating  black, penguin classics cover left me with little expectation of finishing it. Oh, how wrong my expectations were!
Apart from a few chapters here and there that were purely historical fact rather than a continuation of the story, it never once dragged or felt overly heavy - no small feat considering the time and place setting. Each of the characters brought something new to the story-line and provided an alternative view on life in France during the period and the way that they were all intertwined was masterful. There were many characters each with their own background, development, past and perspective and yet the way in which they were introduced to the reader meant that there was never any confusion over who was involved and what was happening - a problem that I find is rife in classical fiction; have you ever attempted to read Anna Karenina? - In fact every character appeared, for the majority, to have their own section of the story, that were then all bought together in a wonderful way for an exciting and climatic ending.

The novel itself was a brilliant collaboration of history, love, loss, friendship, religion, politics the list could go on and on. Hugo's interest in language, Sociology and Politics is evident throughout in an accessible and extremely exciting way - obviously it helps if you are already interested in those same subjects but this is a novel, and a narrative of that time, that really contains something for everyone. There's Eponine; the epitome of the friend-zone, Jean valjean; a man who leaves his old life to make a new start and attempts to become a better person. He is a man chased by his demons until the very end and yet manages to still see the good, and help others. and among a myriad of others including M. Myrial, the kindly clergyman who refreshingly doesn't shy away from those wishing to debate the existence of god, there's Fantine; the determined girl who unfortunately just makes some wrong decisions and becomes blocked by the society in which she lives.
This truly is  a work of literary art.

Rating: 5/5

#LesMisWeek: The play that almost didn't happen.

Never once did Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, co-director of the West end version of Les Miserables with John Caird, underestimate the undertaking, recalling "We're going to do a musical show and it's got 'miserable' in the title. Its got 29 on stage deaths ... it's about French history and there are no dance routines, no tap shoes, no fishnets ..." and maybe the reasons he stated are some of the reasons that initially it was wondered if Les Miserables would even continue past it's opening night at the Barbican, even though it had had modest success in Paris. Critics were divided in opinion. Some couldn't give enough praise to the 'soaring score' whilst others claimed that it had cheapened Victor Hugo's incredible literary work, indeed some critics went even further stating that the novel wasn't even worth cheapening in the first place and two of the leading critics described it as "The Glum's".
Never once, in those apparently hopeless first days of Les Miserables stage career, did anyone predict the rave reviews that it would later receive, its success as a West end show, or indeed the franchise. In fact the advance at the Box office was so poor that Sir Cameron, who had only 24 hours to change his mind about the shows move from the Barbican to the west end, rang his understandably nervous financial backers. Here I think is a fantastic time to put in a massive thank you, why? Because they agreed and took one of the most profitable decisions in theatre history ... As did an equally skeptical Andrew Lloyd Webber (Sir, Baron and Lord) who had only recently purchased the Palace Theater. The show moved to The Queen's theater in 2006.

Les Miserables, has shown both the dubious critics and the rest of the world that dance routines, fishnet tights and a happy sounding title aren't needed to make a musical a success. It has become one of the West end's longest running musicals behind. According to the Society of London Theater, its the second longest running show with over 11,603 performances since it began in 1985, compared to the 25, 393 Mouse Trap performances since it had its debut performance in 1952. I bet Lloyd Webber and the financial backers can barely contain their glee.

#LesMisweek: The 2012 remake | Guest post

This wonderful guest post was written for me by my best friend and discuss-er of film and TV, Tash Moore. Her reviews are brilliant and I definitely recommend that you go over to her blog; http://tellyinmybelly.blogspot.co.uk/ and say hi :)A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be able to go and see Les Miserables in the Queens Theatre London with Rachael, the woman behind this fabulous blog and my wonderful friend. She then asked if I’d review the 2012 remake of the musical for her loyal audience and I mean how could I refuse?

Firstly, I have a confession to make, when I first heard of Les Miserables I thought it was actually about orphaned children laboring in a workhouse who one night  decided to escape across the ocean to freedom whilst singing and dancing about their troubles and hopes for the future – yeah in hindsight I didn't really think it through and I was slightly obsessed with Oliver Twist at that time which may have had some bearing on my messed up ideas. However, I can now assure you all that I am fully educated in the plot of Les Miserables, so let’s get on with this shall we?

In 2011, after securing the film rights from William Nicholson, director Tom Hooper finally teamed together with producer Cameron Mackintosh and Working Title Films to begin production of Les Miserables in June the same year. Convict, turned Mayor, turned convict again Jean Valjean was to be played by Hugh Jackman which was then followed by confirmation that Russell Crowe would portray troubled detective Javert. Afterwards it was confirmed that Anne Hathaway would play the delicate Fantine, dream boyfriend Marius would be Eddie Redmayne and the queen of unrequited love Eponine would be played by Samantha Barks. Now I know a lot of people were initially skeptical of this whole remake because traditionally when Hollywood takes a classic and tries to make it more relevant they tend to end up butchering it, but this really wasn’t the case with Les Miserables. The cast were so shiny and beautiful it was almost sickening but after the first number, which I have to admit did really go on for a hell of a long time and if you’re not a committed musical fan I can see how it would put you off, I sort of forgot they were young and unblemished, and I just started to really feel the story of a man who turned from hating to loving when Cossette (Amanda Seyfried) was in his keeping – yeah, I went there people.

 I really actually admired the production team and Tom Hooper for taking on such a monumental project. Not only did they have the expectations of older generations who have read the books and watched the earlier film, but they also had to make a good impression on the younger generation, for many their first experience of this classic would be watching this film, me included. Yet despite the pressure I think they pulled it off brilliantly, and their brilliance has be acknowledged and rewarded by the multitudes of awards the film and its cast and production team have received. It’s also really amazing to think that the cast sung live on set during filming rather than the singing being pre-recorded and added in during post-production.

Now I know this review may be slightly biased because I’m a huge Les Miserables fan, so much so I have it stored on my phone for quick access, and so I’ll be honest with you here people, one of the things that put me off watching Les Miserables in the first place was the complex language which is very religion orientated. I can completely understand how it can be difficult to keep up with what the hell is going on which is why for the majority of the time I actually watched with the subtitles on, and this did honestly reduce my enjoyment considerably the first time I saw it.

Like I said earlier, if you aren't a fan of the musical then this really isn't a film you’re going to particularly enjoy, and even though there’s some catchy numbers that everyone can enjoy such as Master of The House and One Day More, for the most part it is that classic ‘talk-singing’ that is an either love it or hate it thing. However, if I’m being a 100% honest with myself I did actually prefer certain aspects of the 2012 film to the west end stage production, mainly because I felt more emotionally engrossed by the acting but that may have just been because it’s more difficult to pretend to be majorly upset in real time then it is when you can spend hours shooting one scene. I mean don’t get me wrong I was weeping when I watched it in the West End, especially the part where Marius returns to the barricades after losing all his friends and is so emotionally distraught it’s almost impossible not to leap out of your seat and run on stage to comfort him, but I guess I’m just a sucker for a film.

Regardless of whether you think it’s your scene, I really recommend that everyone experience Les Miserables in one way or another. Whether that be through reading the book, watching the film or going to see it being expertly portrayed by fabulous talents in the west end.

Les Miserables (2012 remake)
Release date: December 2012
Produced by: Cameron Mackintosh Ltd

#LesMisWeek: Favourite quotes

Here are a selection of some of my favourite quotes from Les Miserables. All background photos were taken from Google but the edits are my own .... Feel free to use them if you wish but if possible please give suitable credit. :) All quotes taken from Goodreads.

Just because it broke my heart

#LesMisWeek: From Page to Stage to Screen | Guest post

This wonderful post was written for me by the lovely Lisa :) I highly recommend that you go and peruse her blog 'Lisa talks about' and follow her on Twitter @LJBentley27.

I love Les Miserables. This may seem like a very redundant statement but I feel that we need to start off with a positive. I absolutely love it. However, my love affair with Les Mis has not always been a smooth one. Oh no, it has hit some bumps along the way.

I can actually remember the very first time I consciously heard or was aware of a song from Les Mis. I was 13 years old and Katie Holmes performed On My Own in the Beauty Contest episode of Dawson’s Creek. My friend Alison had spoken to me about it before because we both were stage performers but for some reason I just hadn’t understood just how amazing Les Mis was before this point. After hearing Joey singing the song secretly to Dawson I was hooked. Les Mis consumed me. I needed everything. I listened (and copied) Alison’s cassette(!) of the Original London Cast recording and I learned how to perform my favourite songs with the vocal score, heck I even sang On My Own to get my place in drama school.

Things, however, started to turn a little sour for me when I eventually got to see the stage show. I didn’t like it. Not only did I not like it but I seriously spent the evening depressed. I mean, ok, I get that the translation of the title means The Miserable Ones but still. It was just so dowdy, and the dark and the revolving stage – whilst metaphorically apt – became tedious and repetitious. It tainted the story for me somewhat.

Over the years I still would listen to the soundtrack and sing along with the songs which no one can argue over the sheer brilliance of. It was a few years back when I heard rumours of a possible filmic version of the musical. I will admit my inner drama geek got a little bit giddy. Even more so when I saw the wonderful cast of actors who were set to star in the movie.

It was here that faced a dilemma. When it comes to movies, I will not watch a movie until I have read the book. Now having seen the stage musical already would that qualify me as compromising my bookish morals? Would I be a cheater if I just watched the movie? In the end I did what any book nerd would do. I grabbed a copy of the Victor Hugo classic and I ploughed through it.

I won’t lie to you, it took bloody ages. It is a long and arduous task and I wouldn’t recommend anyone does it unless they are willing to lose a few weeks of their life, are a fast reader and are glutton for punishment. Don’t get me wrong the book is amazing and I feel better for watching it and I have taken things from the book that have given me a whole new perspective upon the musical but it was tough. Overall, I enjoyed the experience but I personally like my classical novels. The titillating factor for me was that I knew what songs would be playing during the scenes. I would be reading about how Fantine found that she was pregnant and then became a woman of the night and I heard I Dreamed a Dream. I met the Thernardiers and sang along to Master of the House. I wept reading about the demise of Eponine in Marius’s arms but heard the beautiful A Little Fall of Rain. So actually, I rescind my earlier statement. Read the book. Everybody. It is a must.

When the film was released I had a whole new appreciation for the musical. My love has been rekindled. The cast was 90% on the money with a special nod to Helen Bonham Carter who is just amazing.

I think that Les Miserables is the marmite of all musicals. You either love it or you hate it (my case being a slight exception to the rule). Those who hate it really should give the book a try, it might just change their mind.

#LesMisWeek: The Les Miserables tag

In honor of #LesMisWeek here on The Bookshelf I thought I'd attempt to create my own tag .... There are 10 questions all related in some way to Les Miserables. In this post I have only put the questions as I would love as many people, book bloggers or not, to answer the questions, take a screen shot and share them with me and everyone else using the hashtag #LesMisWeek and then Monday morning I will post the responses to the tag along with my own answers. I hope that makes sense, but more importantly I hope you enjoy it! :) In short, I TAG YOU ALL!

Note: when I use the phrase 'which character', or something to that affect, I mean from any book you've read. Not necessarily Les Mis. 

1) Members of the ABC read a lot and what they read helped to shape their belief  that revolution was needed. What book have you read that has made you want to change the world?

2) Jean ValJean has been described as the greatest literary character of all time and the majority of people love him. However, he's a criminal and maybe we shouldn't. what book character also poses a similar moral dilemma?

3) Les Miserables is a big book (1232 pages in my edition) but it didn't read like one. Which book did you expect to be a long read but wasn't despite its size?

4) Marius and his grandfather had opposing political views, leading to them not speaking, however in the end differences were forgiven. Which character have you initially disagreed with but forgave and actually liked by the end of the book?

5) Gavroche has only a small part in the story and yet does something very important at the barricade. Which minor character, from any book, do you believe deserves more credit?

6) Eponine is the victim of unrequited love. Which book character are you in love with but know you could never have because they're in love with someone else?

7) Cossette wishes she could go to her castle on a cloud so as to escape the terrible realities of her life. If you could escape to any fictional place where would it be?

8) Javert tirelessly pursues Jean ValJean consumed by the belief that he will succeed until something happens that prevents him from bringing him to justice, leaving him bitterly disappointed. Which book do you feel had the most disappointing conclusion?

9) There are some characters in Les Miserables, such as Eponine, whose stories make you want to know more about their background. What character would you love to know more about?

10) Which character from Les Miserables would you most like to meet and why?

Welcome to #LesMisWeek

This post has two jobs to do, one is to welcome you to #LesMisWeek and also the other is to allow me to fan-girl over something that was delivered to my postbox about 2 weeks ago and, although I have wanted to scream 'Look how beautiful it is!' over and over again, I have kept under wraps with the purpose of showing it off during the week. So before I explode with excitement ....

"Look how beautiful it is!"

Les Miserables
By Victor Hugo, Introduced by Norman Denny
Translated by: Norman Denny

Pride of place.

Thank you for letting me get that out of my system and an even bigger thank you for joining me this week, I know I mentioned this yesterday but I am incredibly excited to be doing this and even more excited that this blog is allowing me to share my love for this book, I really couldn't have done it without all you lovely people. Whether your reading my posts, following me on Twitter or just being fellow bookworms, I love you all!

#LesMisWeek

I know that this post is really late in coming (#LesMisWeek starts tomorrow!) but better late than never right ...?
Anyway, I love Les Miserables; the book written by Victor Hugo, the stage show which I saw on the west end around 2 weeks ago, and, although I have yet to see the film I am sure that I will love that too. So, as a way of paying homage to this great story and as a way of letting my inner fan-girl run wild I am dedicating the week beginning the 25th August - I really wasn't kidding about it starting tomorrow - to Les Miserables. I am super excited.

There will be tags, guest posts and pictures so don't forget to join in using #LesMisWeek and don't forget to follow me on Twitter - @Bookshelf_Blog, send me your thoughts, feelings, questions and queries and I will try my absolute hardest to respond to every single one. However, I do ask this; please be kind. This is my first hosting type thing and I am not really sure how it works best.

Hope you enjoy the week, see you tomorrow.
Love, Rachael     :D

Discussion: Happy Birthday Charlie!

To mark the 50th anniversary of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, I'm re-reading my well loved copy. Penguin went a little further and not everyone is happy about it.
For those who are unaware of the news, Penguin has inducted Charlie and the Chocolate factory into their 'Modern Classics' collection, unfortunately it is with this cover ...

The new Penguin Modern Classics edition of Roald Dahl,
dividing opinion since its release.

A lot of people have a lot of opinions about this cover and for what it's worth I thought I'd weigh in. I hate it.The photograph used on the controversial cover is a cropped version of a picture which appeared in a 2008 issue of Numéro magazine as part of a fashion story entitled 'Mommie Dearest' and can be found here. I haven't read the article but I have seen the original and the other pictures used in the same article and, in that context, I really like it.

However, as a cover for the beloved children's story I find it completely inappropriate and weird. I don't, as many people are complaining about, find it over sexualised and I do kind of see how it could portray the deeper aspect of Charlie and the Chocolate factory about the parent, child relationship. Nevertheless, the purpose of a book cover is to give a snapshot of the book and encourage people to read it .... for someone who was picking Charlie up for the first time it wouldn't portray the story-line, giving a bigger impression as possibly a sci-fi, dystopian story - Stepford wives esque definitely.

I think I will stick to my lovely hand me down copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with it's vibrant and inviting cover and even when it does succumb to its age and falls completely apart I will not be replacing it with the Modern Classics edition as, quite frankly, it freaks me out.

My lovely edition of Charlie and the Chocolate factory,
a much loved hand me down from my mum and much more appealing.

What do you think of the new cover? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Or, are you somewhere in between?

July: This month I've read

The shadow of the wind
By: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
3/5

Christmas at Carringtons
By: Alexandra Brown
3/5

Ice cream at Carringtons
By: Alexandra Brown
3/5

The Bone season
by: Samantha Shannon
4/5

Looking for Alaska
By: John Green
5/5

Oranges are not the only fruit
By: Jeanette Winterson
3/5

Matilda
By: Roald Dahl
4/5

The Stepford wives
By: Ira Levin
2/5

The Cuckoo's calling
By: Robert Galbraith
5/5

Ajax Penumbra 1969
By: Robin Sloan
3/5

Anna and the French kiss 
By: Stephanie Perkins
5/5

The Circle
By: Dave Eggers4/5

We are all completely beside ourselves
By: Karen Joy Fowler
3/5

Jellicoe Road
By: Melina Marchetta
3/5

Dash and Lilly's book of dares
By: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
2/5

Bad News
By: Edward St Aubyn
3/5

#sunathon wrap up

So, the #sunathon is over and I'm feeling sad ... It was a fantastic week and was brilliant motivation for finally working my way through my ever growing TBR pile. In this #sunathon post, my proposed TBR, I was a little concerned that I had set myself up for a failure, and mentioned how happy I would be if I read even half of the pile .... Well, I am one very happy blogger! I managed to read, not only the four that I initially planned to read, but 7 books .... 7 books in 7 days, I'm feeling quite chuffed.

1. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
2. The Cuckoo's calling by Robert Galbraith
3. Ajax Penumbra 1969 by Robin Sloan
4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
5. The Circle by Dave Eggers
6. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
7. We are all completely beside ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

As I predicted, I didn't read 'The Dangerous Liaisons' in the end. It just didn't grab me and I didn't want to spend all week forcing myself to read a book I didn't think I was going to enjoy. So, I put it to one side and picked up 'The Circle' by Dave Eggers which I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend.

As someone who had previously never participated in a Read-a-thon I had little to no idea of what to expect and was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep up. It was great, so much fun, and a fantastic way to meet others in the book blogging community (and gain some more Twitter followers .. ) and I would highly recommend that you join in with one at some point.

Emma Louise, the creator and host of the #sunathon, did a fabulous job and although I have thanked her profusely on Twitter I would like to take this opportunity to thank her, again, on here, so, Emma, if your reading this, THANK YOU for a brilliant week and a fantastic idea that was executed perfectly and was such a joy to participate in. You were a fantastic host, a joy to communicate with and obviously someone with a huge passion for books and blogging! :)

Due to the success that #sunathon had she also has a very exciting announcement! Go to her #sunathon wrap up post to find out what .... :)

I hope that you, and my Twitter followers, have enjoyed my progress as much as I enjoyed participating ... I can't wait for the next one and, although its over, enjoy the books, enjoy the sun, enjoy the books in the sun!

#Sunathon update

The #Sunathon has reached its half way stage so this seemed like a good time to post an update. If you follow me on Twitter (@BookShelf_Blog) then this won't be new information for you and I won't be offended if you stop reading this and pick up a book instead.

I wrote a post about my planned TBR back on Sunday with little expectation of reading many of what I  perceived to be an overambitious pile, how pleased I am that I was wrong. Four days in and this is what I have read so far: 

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin - 3/5

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith - 4/5

Ajax Penumbra 1969 - 3/5

Anna and the French kiss - 5/5





Total pages read - 1165

I will write a full review for at least one of these books sometime in the near future, but right now I'm going to get into bed, plump the pillows and start reading the next book on my TBR by the light of my bedside lamp. Goodnight everyone, happy reading.