December | 2014 | Guy Portman's Blog

My Year In Books

Dec 26 2014

This time last year I devoted a blog post to the books that I had read in 2013. I have decided to do the same for 2014. In addition to releasing my second novel, the satirical black comedy Necropolis, I read 34 books.

Here is a breakdown of the books I read in 2014. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Non Fiction

If you are interested in African history you might like:

King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild – The Belgian King, Leopold II, had grown envious of his European neighbours’ portfolio of colonies, and longed for a colony that he could call his own… (More)

Classics

I read a couple of books that could be termed Classics in 2014, including:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Brother Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Transgressive Fiction

Click here for a definition of Transgressive fiction. Here are 3 very different Transgressive novels that might be of interest if you haven’t read them already.

High Rise by J. G. Ballard

Post Office by Charles Bukowski

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Black Comedy

I read a couple of books that could be termed black comedies, including:

Death and The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov – Kiev resident and journalist Viktor lives in a small flat with Misha, his pet Emperor Penguin, purchased from the near destitute city zoo…(More)

I also wrote a black comedy, which I would highly recommend.

Necropolis by Guy Portman – Dyson Devereux is Head of Burials and Cemeteries for the local council … (Click here to read Crime Fiction Lover’s review of Necropolis)

Crime Fiction

I read a fair bit of Crime fiction in 2014 including:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Chasing The Game by Paul Gadsby

Slur by Diane Mannion

Real Crime

The best Real Crime book that I read this year was Helter Skelter. It is about the Manson murders.

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi – In one of the most infamous mass murders in history, Sharon Tate, the Hollywood actress and pregnant wife of film director Roman Polanski, is brutally slain in her home,…(More)

Best Novella

The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway – Set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Cuba, this is a tale about an old man, a boy and a colossal Marlin…(More)

The Old Man And The Sea

Books about Drug Addiction

I read some good books about drug addiction in 2014 and some not so good ones. I would highly recommend these 3:

Junky by William S. Burroughs

Wasting Talent by Ryan Leone

Novel with Cocaine by M. Ageyev

Biggest Disappointments

I am a big fan of Easton Ellis and Palahniuk, but these two books failed to meet my lofty expectations.

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis

Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk

Favourite Book

Post Office by Charles Bukowski – Henry Chinaski is a heavy drinking, womanising, race track frequenting low-life, who works at the post office. The story follows his menial existence of twelve-hour night shifts, sorting post, …(More)

10 Books About Christmas

Dec 19 2014

I am not a Christmassy person. However, in the spirit of Christmas I am dedicating this week’s blog post to a Christmas related subject, namely Christmas books. Here are 10 books about Christmas from the last 170 years. They are presented in chronological order.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843) – This iconic novella is about a miser called Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge learns to embrace the joys of Christmas after being visited by the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The Admiral’s Caravan by Charles E. Carryl (1891) – This story’s protagonist is a girl called Dorothy. Dorothy goes on a journey with three wooden statues. On Christmas Eve the statues come alive. The book features pictures by Reginald Bathurst Birch.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (1905) – This is a sentimental story with a moral lesson about giving presents. The subjects of the tale are an impoverished married couple who plan to buy secret Christmas gifts for each other.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie (1938) – Having invited his family for Christmas, millionaire Simeon Lee plays a sadistic game with them, which culminates in murder. It is left to Detective Hercule Poirot to sift through the evidence and solve the crime.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (1957) – This illustrated children’s story written in rhyming verse is about a creature called The Grinch, who disguises himself as Santa in order to steal a family’s Christmas presents. The Grinch comes to embrace Christmas.

The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth (1975) – A De Havilland Vampire pilot is heading home on Christmas Eve when his aircraft suffers an electrical failure. He ends up being shepherded to a disused RAF dispersal field by a WWII fighter-bomber.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans (1993) – In this sentimental story a man called Richard finds a Christmas box in the attic of an elderly lady’s home. The letters in the box lead to Richard discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (2001) – This comedy novel features a couple called Luther and Nora Krank. The Kranks set out to ignore the Christmas furore. However a series of unforeseen events see their plans go awry.

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (2004) – An angel called Raziel is sent to earth to grant the wish of a child. Raziel ends up accidentally raising zombies from their graves. The zombies attack the local town’s residents.

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern (2009) – This magical, fable-like Christmas story is about a successful executive who is frustrated that he has to spend more time at work than with his wife and two young children.

Happy Christmas.

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Are These The 12 Best-Selling Books Of All Time?

Dec 14 2014

This blog post is dedicated to 12 of the best-selling books of all time. It is with a heavy heart that I announce that none of my books made the list.

The Bible is omitted by design. After all half of the World’s Bibles have been given away for free, and are currently gathering dust in hotel room drawers. I have also ignored Mao’s Little Red Book for similar reasons.

The 12 books are:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – 65 million copies sold – Reclusive author J.D. Salinger’s seminal work was published in 1951. The iconic book continues to sell at a rate of approximately 250,000 copies a year.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – 70 million copies sold – Published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich remains the best selling self-help book of all time. It certainly made its author rich, though not sure the same could be said for its readers.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown – 80 million copies sold – This Christian themed mystery thriller complete with conspiracy theories has become a global best seller. I am probably merely one of millions who don’t like Dan Brown, but nevertheless own a copy of The Da Vinci Code.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – 85 million copies sold – Published in 1950, this Christian themed children’s fantasy tale, which has been adapted for the stage and big screen, continues to sell well to this day, and no doubt will continue to do so.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James – 125 million copies sold – Published in 2011, this, the first instalment of the Fifty Shades erotic fiction trilogy, more than makes up for any perceived lack of literary merit with massive global sales.

She: A History of Adventure by H Rider Haggard – 100 million copies sold – Published in 1887, She is about two men who discover a lost kingdom in Africa. Perhaps I shouldn’t be admitting this, but I had never even heard of it (I mean She) prior to writing this post.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – 100 million copies sold – Prior to inspiring an ~~unnecessary~~ incredible three films in consecutive years, all based on different sections of the book that inspired it, The Hobbit was known as the bestselling prequel to The Lord of the Rings.

Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin – 100 million copies sold – Mao’s Little Red Book is not the only bestselling Chinese book with the word ‘red’ in its title. Written in the 18th century, Dream of the Red Chamber is a semi-autobiographical account about the author’s family and friends.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie – 100 million copies sold – Best selling, prolific mystery writer Agatha Christie’s top selling book is about 10 people lured to an island and then murdered, following the pattern of the nursery rhyme Ten Little Indians.

Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – 140 million copies – Voted the best book of the 20th Century in France, this novella, complete with watercolour illustrations, tells the story of a pilot stuck in the desert, who meets a little prince.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – 150 million copies – Another Tolkien book, another Peter Jackson directed film. The Lord of the Rings is the second best selling book ever. Tolkien’s two entries on this list add up to 0.25 billion books sold. That is more than the population of Brazil and Colombia combined (2014 estimate).

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – 200 million copies sold – A Tale of Two Cities is the best-selling book of all time. This iconic piece of historical fiction set during the French Revolution continues to grace bookshelves around the globe, including mine, though I must confess I haven’t read it yet.

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My Year in Novellas

Dec 12 2014

A novella is a fictional, prose narrative that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Novellas are generally about 20,000 – 50,000 words.

These are my Top 5 novellas that I have read this year:

5. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha is a concise and philosophical novella with a graceful prose style that incorporates both Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. This story about destiny had a cathartic effect on this reader.

My Review: Siddhartha, a Brahmin’s son, finding village life increasingly unrewarding, leaves his family and sets off on a spiritual journey with best friend and devotee Govinda. Travelling as Samanas, they survive on donations and from begging … (More)

4. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is a bleak and unsettling story about a man who turns into a beetle. It utilises dark humour and explores existentialist, nihilist themes. In this reader’s opinion The Metamorphosis is a good introduction to Kafka’s writing.

My Review: …protagonist Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a beetle. This awkward situation is exacerbated when Gregor’s boss turns up at his house seeking an explanation for his non-attendance at work that day… (More)

3. The Legend of the Holy Drinker by Joseph Roth

This is a compact, concise, compassionate and profound novella about a tramp who lives under the bridges of the river Seine in Paris. The Austrian-Jewish author and journalist Joseph Roth is one of my favourite non-English language writers.

My Review: Set in Paris between the wars the story is about an alcoholic tramp by the name of Andreas, who lives under bridges of the river Seine. Andreas finds himself in luck when he is given two hundred francs by a stranger, … (More)

2. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

Truman Capote’s masterful ability to develop character is on full display in this compelling and at times humorous tale about an independent young society figure with a past shrouded in secrecy.

My Review: Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a novella set in New York in the 1940s about a young woman called Holly Golighty. The story follows Holly’s ambiguous relationship with a nameless narrator, whom we are told almost nothing about, apart from that he is a writer... (More)

1. The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

This is a carefully constructed and evocative novella written in Hemingway’s trademark simple, concise, economy of prose style. It is the most memorable novella I have read this year, and I look forward to reading more Hemingway.

My Review: Set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Cuba, this is a tale about an old man, a boy and a colossal Marlin. The old man, Santiago, is a veteran fisherman, who is on a run of bad luck having been eighty-four days without catching a fish. (More)

8 Authors Who Committed Suicide

Dec 05 2014

Admittedly this is a rather depressing subject for a blog post, but it is an interesting one. Here are 8 famous authors who committed suicide:

Anne Sexton

(November 9th 1928 – October 4th 1974)

Anne Sexton was a Pulitzer Prize winning American poet. Themes in her confessional style verse included her mental instability and depression. On October 4th 1974 the 45 year-old poet put on her mother’s old fur coat, poured herself a glass of vodka, locked herself in her garage, started the engine of her car and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Hunter S. Thompson

(July 18th 1937 – February 20th 2005)

The father of Gonzo journalism was an iconic figure in the counter-culture. Hunter S. Thompson suffered from health problems in later life, culminating in him shooting himself in the head aged 67. His ashes were fired out of a cannon in a ceremony funded by friend and star of the movie adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Johnny Depp.

Click here to read my review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Yukio Mishima

(January 14th 1925 – November 25th 1970)

Yukio Mishima is widely considered to be Japan’s greatest ever author. On November 25th 1968 Mishima and 4 members of his private militia barricaded themselves in the Tokyo headquarters of the Eastern Command of Japan’s self-defence forces. Having delivered a speech from the balcony to the soldiers below, Mishima committed Seppuku, a Japanese ritual suicide consisting of disembowelment followed by beheading.

Ernest Hemingway

(July 21st 1899 – July 2nd 1961)

Ernest Hemingway is today remembered as a pillar of American literature. His accolades include winning The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953) and The Nobel Prize in Literature (1954). In the early morning hours of July 2nd 1961, following a period of deteriorating health and depression, Hemingway shot himself in the head with his favourite shotgun.

Click here to read my review of The Old Man and the Sea

John Berryman

(October 25th 1914 – January 7th 1972)

John Berryman was an American poet, scholar, and a key figure in the Confessional school of poetry. The poet was a heavy drinker for much of his life. He also suffered from periods of emotional instability. On January 7th 1972 Berryman met his demise when he plunged to his death from a bridge in Minneapolis.

Virginia Woolf

(January 25th 1882 – March 28th 1941)

Novelist and critic Virginia Woolf was an influential interwar writer and one of the foremost modernists of the 20th Century. Shortly after finishing the manuscript of her last novel, Between the Acts, Woolf entered a deep depression. On the 28th March 1941 the author put on her overcoat, filled her pockets with stones and walked out into the River Ouse near her home in Sussex.

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Akutagawa

(March 1st 1892 – July 24th 1927)

Akutagawa was a Japanese writer, who is considered to be the father of the Japanese short story. Japan’s premier literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. The author suffered from deteriorating physical and mental health, and at the age 35 he committed suicide by taking an overdose of Veronal.

Sylvia Plath

(October 27th 1932 – February 11th 1963)

Sylvia Plath was well known for her poetry during her short-life. Examples of her early success included winning The Glascock Prize for poetry in 1955. Plath, who had a history of depression, committed suicide in 1963, by poisoning herself with carbon monoxide in her own kitchen. She went on to achieve posthumous fame.

Click here to read my review of The Bell Jar

Archive - December 2014

My Year In Books

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10 Books About Christmas

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Are These The 12 Best-Selling Books Of All Time?

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My Year in Novellas

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8 Authors Who Committed Suicide

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Archive - December 2014

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