Book Review: Making History, by Stephen Fry

Is it cool to say that I have an absolutely huge, huge, huge crush on Stephen Fry’s words? Just, wow. He truly is a master wordsmith, and in his  novel, ‘Making History’ he has used his supernatural lexicological skill to great advantage. ‘Making History’ is a funny, interesting and invigorating book that ponders the question: “If you can change something that occurred in history could you, would you, or would your interference even make that much of a difference?” I have this say, this book has left me feeling very philosophical, and I keep bringing up the topic with my friends because I really want to talk about it.

‘Making History’ begins with a rather pathetic young man who thinks he has finished his thesis. Also, his girlfriend has just left him because she thinks that History is no where near as important as Science, so how dare they give him a doctorate. (As a side note, I never really did like Michael’s girlfriend. As an aside to the aside, I don’t think you are supposed to.) Michael has a chance meeting with a physics professor who takes an interest in Michael’s paper. Every second chapter of the book follows the adventures of Michael.

Every other chapter of the book follows the adventures of Alois Hitler and his wife, Klara. Alois is an Austrian who hates the Germans, his wife and the world. He enjoys beating down the Germans, beating his wife, and drinking alcohol. His wife, Klara, gives him a son, called Adolf. Do you see where I am going with this? The reader watches Adolf Hitler as he grows up, and later when he is in the army and the people that he meets there who help cement his anti-semitic beliefs.

*Sigh*. That’s not a bad sigh, more of a weary sigh because I am at a loss as to how to explain the book further. I will try my best, but there may well be SPOILERS. I hate giving away any spoilers in a review, and I apologise in advance. You have been warned. Scroll down to keep reading. Or jump to the final paragraph for my final thoughts.

Image Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Stephen_Fry-_Making_History.jpg

Reviews of the Future

There is to be no review posted for this week. Instead I went to the book launch of super talented Australian author, Adam Browne. I bought a copy of his short story collection, '"Other Stories" and Other Stories'. The two stories I have read so far have been ah may zing. He's also a super nice guy. Expect a review once I'm done. 

Stay tuned for the following book reviews:

- Making History, by Stephen Fry
- Reaper's Rhythm, by Claire Davidson
- Cross Stitch (Outlander), by Diana Gabaldon

UPDATE: Reviews will now be posted once a fortnight, and my '10 Reasons Why' segment will be a once-in-a-while thing. This is because I am making a commitment to my novel, which I hope to submit to publishers soon. I still enjoy writing the reviews, and even more I love being able to find books that you might enjoy too. I just can't spend two days out of every week reading. I'm cutting back to every second morning.

Thanks for your support. Hugs to you all. oxo

10 Reasons Why You Should Read a Jean Plaidy Novel

1) She researched her novels thoroughly. You can be sure that the historical events you are reading about are accurate.
2) If there is a lack of information about an event, Plaidy informs you of this in the preface of the book, outlines the other versions of the events, and explains why she chose the version that she used in her story.
3) Plaidy provides the historical figures with a personality. You can relate to the events so much more when told from the perspective of the main figure.
4) Plaidy does not dumb herself down for her audience.
5) Jean Plaidy was a prolific author. She wrote dozens of titles so there is sure to be at least one historical figure to catch your fancy.
6) Plaidy brings the era to life. You can smell the streets, taste the foods and visualise the clothing.
7) The novels are not too long. You can easily read them within a few days.
8) If you fall in love with a particular historical figure (like I did with Elizabeth I), Plaidy is bound to have written several other stories with them in. You can also usually find out about that character's ancestors in her other novels.
9) You can purchase her books second hand fairly cheaply. There have also been recent reprints at reasonable prices, meaning they are usually easy to find.
10) Plaidy was the queen of Historical Fiction. It is a genre that I have read widely, and I have never found another author who can hold a candle to her.

Book Review: Dragon Master: Storm of Wings (Book 1), by Chris Bunch

'A Storm of Wings,' by Chris Bunch is the first book in the Dragon Master trilogy. It concerns the story of Hal Kailas, whose dream in life is to ride dragons. He walks away from his family, his village and his life to pursue this dream. Hal manages to ingratiate himself with a Dragon Master, and begins to learn the tools of the trade, so to speak. Unfortunately for Hal the land is thrown into a perilous war, and Hal is volunteered for the army.

'A Storm of Wings,' is a story of bloody, grimy battles with a little bit of dialogue in between. I don't mind blood thirsty battle scenes. In fact, I have been known to sit on the edge of my seat in anticipation during many such events. But I felt that this was all the story was about, and I couldn't quite enjoy it. In saying that I do know of many people who would absolutely love this book simply for the battles and the war, and I have recommended it to them already.

The prose in this story is a little odd. I found it difficult to read, to be honest, because it just wasn't what I was used to. I felt as if the author was trying not to use the word 'and' too often, and instead he had simply crossed out all of the 'ands' without rearranging the sentences. For example:

 "The dragon tried again for him, couldn't slow enough to reach into the cranny, screaming rage."


I know, I know. I've been whining a little in this review, but there were elements in this book that I actually really enjoyed. I enjoyed them so much, in fact, that I am half way through book 2: 'Knighthood of the Dragon'. For example, I absolutely loved the dragons in this story. They seemed to primal, so brutal, so real. And Bunch's description of the world from dragon back was so wonderful that I felt I was flying right alongside Hal. I also felt I had a good understanding of the world Bunch has created. He was clear and relatively concise without being confusing about the world structure. I really appreciate that in a fantasy fiction book. Bunch never just dumps you with a whole heap of information. He trickles it to you in swallowable doses. I can't help but admire the skill.

And so, in summary, I think you will enjoy this book if you enjoy fantasy fiction novels with brutal battles, dragons and smart arse heroes. The writing style can take a little bit of getting used to, and can slow down the reading process. However,  the language used is delightful and the description of place really shows of the author's talent. It's worth a read, but only if you like that sort of thing.