Shakespeare: The World as a Stage - Bill Bryson

Continuing with the “aren’t we brilliant, look at our Olympics” theme, and in light of this summer’s World Shakespeare Festival, it seemed appropriate to revisit the most comprehensive, enlightening yet humorous and abstract biography of the most famous playwright in history…written by an American.

Bryson treats Shakespeare in the same way he does any of the subjects from his travel diaries, with an expert combination of forthright affection, at once applauding his much celebrated achievements and firmly shutting down those romanticised myths about the man we actually know very little about, very little for sure at least.

Most startling are the globally accepted lies that have made their way into the history books, and stayed there, simply because a single, ill-informed fan scribbled them down a few hundred years ago.

Also up for debate is his reportedly devoted relationship with Anne Hathaway, a wife he abandoned, along with his young children, while he gallivanted off to London to set the theatre scene alight.

Bryson admits where his research has come up against a brick wall, as with his investigations into the enigmatic subject of what Will did with himself during the ‘dark period’ in which he dropped off the face of the earth’s written records, but never fails to intelligently combine all possible solutions and present us with a credible conclusion.

Plenty of bonus history lessons about Elizabethan London, Elizabeth herself and her curiously ascended successor, James flesh out this detailed, yet uncomplicated biography.

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott. Fitzgerald

Baz Luhrman’s spectacular re-make of The Great Gatsby, due for release on Boxing Day, provides the perfect opportunity to (re)discover a literary classic. Often lauded as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s finest work, the American writer set out to compose a "consciously artistic” piece of work and Gatsby turned out to be, in his own words, the “sustained imagination of a sincere and yet radiant world". Radiant indeed was the world of New York during the ‘Roaring Twenties’ in which our narrator, Nick Carraway, finds himself as a young Yale graduate working in the city and living out at West Egg, a peaceful, well-to-do commuter town.

Nick becomes ensconced in the tennis playing, all day drinking, shallow partying culture of the millionaire East and West Egg sets through a tenuous family link to Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is in a traditionally unhappy marriage to Tom but her historic links to Nick’s ostentatious yet mysterious neighbour, Gastby, slowly come to light.

Fitzgerald’s plot enjoys the trappings of the gaudy deviance of the era, with multiple mistresses running around and decadence dripping from every setting.  The skilled writer expertly holds back Gatsby’s character, switching between obvious support for the entrepreneurial war veteran and cynical disdain for the suspected petty criminal. 

Readers aren’t patronised with clear, directional plot revelations, leaving you to piece together the mess that is the lives of his chic, bed-hopping group of characters. 

A glittering, accessible classic.

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

To begin this most daunting of tasks, in reviewing a modern classic, I’ll go out on a limb and call Perks of Being a Wallflower the modern equivalent of J.D Salinger’s 1951 novel, Catcher in the Rye. The two compare in that their characters and life-lessons resonate deeply with the writers’ original intended audiences but are also universal in their message.

 

Perks of Being a Wallflower is, in fact, a little more subtle in imparting personal encouragement, but that’s perhaps due to readers being more receptive to that kind of thing in the mid 90’s, as opposed to the middle of the century, which probably has a lot to do with the likes of Salinger.

Our protagonist, Charlie, narrates this archetypal coming-of-age tale, through a series of letters in which the introverted teenager shares every detail of his high school freshman year, from the banal to the profound. An ostensible wallflower and unconventional thinker, Charlie retreats into the world of literature, guided by an enthusiastic young teacher, who fears that Charlie’s extraordinary outlook on life will limit his ‘real’ experiences. The likeably difficult teen embarks on a year of social and personal enlightenment when two, older, students from his Pittsburgh school take him under their wing.

MTV first published Steven Chobsky’s novel in 1999-a fitting vehicle for a story with such a conspicuous ‘soundtrack’. Chobsky himself directed Emma Watson (Harry Potter) and Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin) in the film adaptation, due for release this September.

The Fifty Shades trilogy - E. L. James

Filling the gap in the adult market that the Twilight and Hunger Games series have for the tweens, E. L. James’ much talked about (in hushed tones, of course) trilogy has stormed book charts around the world since the first instalment was published in May 2011. Louisiana state library’s decision to ban the series, slamming it as ‘mommy porn’, saw sales soar once again when the erotic trilogy made global news. 

Set in Seattle, self-made business mogul, Christian Grey, is forced to confront his unique lifestyle and obsession with control when he meets dowdy, book-worm, Anastasia Steele. Desperate to ensnare Anastasia, Christian finds himself breaking all the rules he so carefully set up to protect himself and ensure his chaotic life remains on an even keel.

In addition to the unlikely love story blossoming with Anastasia, Christian’s difficult start in life and enviable success have made him unpopular in several circles, circles that have the means and the motive to seriously hurt him and his family.

To be honest, the erotic segments get a little tedious and repetitive, but are soon replaced by repeated, overt romantic gestures, and then those get a little tedious. It’s all nothing you haven’t read before, provided you’re already acquainted with the likes of Jilly Cooper and Jackie Collins.

That said, there is more than enough of a storyline behind the shock-factor that ensured sales exceeding ten million to keep you turning the page, all 1664 pages if you make it to the end of the third instalment.

Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker - Thelma Madine

When Big Fat Gypsy Weddings first aired on Channel 4, the nation fell under the spell of this secretive group of people, who, along with their propensity for living in segregated camps and observing traditional gender-roles, are perhaps  best known (nowadays at least) for their elaborate wedding celebrations. 

The runaway star of the Gypsy Weddings series, Thelma Madine, is the dressmaker responsible for the elaborate, gaudy and sometimes scar-inducing creations her teenaged brides shuffle down the aisle in. Now a trusted confidant and go-to dressmaker for gypsy brides all over the country, Thelma tells how she overcame her own struggles before becoming the successful boutique owner, wedding planner and TV personality she is today. 

Left with absolutely nothing after a messy divorce, the platinum- blonde started off selling her modest creations on a market stall in Liverpool, until she was approached by a young traveller asking if she could manage a much more elaborate creation, and she never looked back.

Thelma’s work must be seen to be believed. She’s made a 107ft train, adorned brides with mechanical butterflies that flutter as they walk, and even sewn battery packs into a girl’s corset to power the L.E.D lights under her skirts. In this heartfelt memoir, Thelma brings the secretive world of the travelling community to life, as she sees it, through the many young brides that grace her boutique.