Book Reviews | Guy Portman's Blog

6 Works of Dark Fiction

Oct 07 2016

Dark fiction is concerned with the sinister side of human nature. It is often distinguished from the mainstream horror genre in that it tends not to be fantasy-orientated. Dark fiction may contain elements of black or satirical humour.

Here are six works of dark fiction that I have read. The following books are presented in the order in which they were published. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Tropic of Cancer

About: Sexuality, freedom and the human condition are themes in this groundbreaking work. Tropic of Cancer was banned from being imported into the United States after its publication in France in 1934.

My Review: Set in the late 1920s and early 30s, Tropic of Cancer is a semi-autobiographical first-person account of a young, struggling American writer living in Paris, and for a… (More)

The Plague by Albert Camus

The Plague

About: This is a philosophical work that explores destiny, the human condition, and absurdism, namely the tendency to try and find meaning in life, but failing to find any.

My Review: In the Algerian coastal town of Oran, an explosion in the rat population has not gone unnoticed. The infestation soon comes to an abrupt halt with the mysterious demise of the rats… (More)

Savage Night by Jim Thompson

Savage Night

About: Savage Night is a suspenseful crime novel written in its author’s trademark pulp prose style. Protagonist Carl is a paranoid and perplexing character, who is convinced that he is disintegrating.

My Review: A shadowy crime boss known as ‘The Man’ sends contract killer Carl Bigelow to a small town, on a mission to kill a man, by the name of Jake Winroy. Jake is a key witness in a forthcoming… (More)

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

About: First published in 1962, A Clockwork Orange is a ground-breaking and controversial book with an intriguing and intelligent narrator, which leaves many questions to ponder.

My Review: Alex is an eccentric 15-year-old delinquent with a penchant for classical music and drinking milk. He and his fellow ‘droogs’ assault, rob and rape with impunity, that is until a serious incident… (More)

Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis

glamorama

About: This satirical work adeptly captures the hedonism of 1990s New York. In typical Ellis fashion the text is punctuated with numerous pop-culture references, in addition to sporadic descriptions of violence.

My Review: Victor Ward aka Victor Johnson is a male model living in 1990s Manhattan. Victor is a vapid, soulless character, obsessed with celebrity culture, who lives an existence that revolves around…(More)

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

Choke

About: Choke is in essence a social commentary about our innate craving for attention. Protagonist Victor is a victim of the selfish motivations at the very root of modern American society.

My Review: The protagonist, Victor Mancini, is a sex addict employed at an eighteenth-century historical re-enactment park. Victor attends various sexual addiction support groups, where he meets… (More)

7 Satirical Novels

Aug 19 2016

As followers of this blog know I am an enthusiastic satire reader and writer. This week’s post is dedicated to 7 satirical novels.

Satire definition: the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly...

Candide by Voltaire (1759)

Candide

Candide is an eighteenth-century satirical classic that evaluates optimism; the prevailing philosophical ideology during The Enlightenment. Voltaire adroitly sought to dispel the belief that all is for the best when it is not.

My Review: Brought up in the household of a German baron, cheerful protagonist Candide has been instilled with the philosophy of Leibniz, notably – That all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds…(more)

My Opinion: Amusing

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)

Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a satire of American southern antebellum society that parodies religion, morality, literature and above all the practice of slavery.

My Review: 13-year-old Huckleberry Finn is living in Missouri with a widow who plans to ‘sivilize’ him. That is until his alcoholic father relocates him to an isolated cabin in the woods. Huck fakes his own death and escapes…(more)

My Opinion: Okay but turgid.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

Brave New World

Brave New World utilises erudite social commentary to explore mankind’s inherent nature. Huxley’s portentous vision has proven to be prescient in its prediction of a science-controlled, consumer culture.

My Review: Brave New World is set in a society where everything is controlled. The parentless, manufactured, free-loving population are dependent on a state-endorsed hallucinogenic, happiness drug called Soma…(more)

My Opinion: Very good

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

Catch-22

Catch-22 is a satire whose central theme is the futility of war. The book employs a distinctive writing style, an innovative out of sequence narration of events, imaginative descriptions, paradox and grandiloquent language.

My Review: Set on the Mediterranean island of Pianosa during WWII, Catch-22 is about the exploits of the fictitious 256th Squadron. We follow protagonist Yossarian and his comrades’ farcical attempts to…(more)

My Opinion: A rambling text

High-Rise by J.G. Ballard (1975)

High-Rise

Replete with similes and occurrences of the word ‘percolate’, High-Rise is a tense, bleak and satirical book about conflict that explores the connection between technology and the human condition.

My Review: Set in an apartment tower block in London, High-Rise is a dystopian tale about the intense animosity that develops between the building’s various floors. The story centres around three main characters…(more)

My Opinion: Quite good

Death And The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov (1996)

Death And The Penguin

Set in the post-Soviet Ukraine of the 1990s, Death And The Penguin is a bizarre, bleak, surreal and at times darkly humorous crime novel and tragicomedy that combines political and social commentary.

My Review: Kiev resident and journalist Viktor lives in a small flat with Misha, his pet Emperor Penguin, purchased from the near destitute city zoo. Viktor has ambitions of becoming a novelist or short story writer…(more)

My Opinion: Okay

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk (2007)

Rant

Rant challenges our own traditions by demonstrating how we contort our recollection of events in accordance with our desires, motives and beliefs. There are obvious parallels with the gospels.

My Review: Rant is the oral history of Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, recounted by an array of people including his relations, friends, enemies and lovers. Rant’s childhood companions from the small rural town where…(more)

My Opinion: Thought-provoking but convoluted.

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The 10 Books I’ve Read This Year

Jul 01 2016

I have read 10 books in 2016. I hope to read at least another 10 before the end of the year. The following books are presented in the order in which I read them. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Genre: Classic

Tolstoy’s opus is set against a backdrop of the emancipation of the serfs, the Pan Slavism movement, political change and technological advancement. The story follows three interrelated families…(more)

My Rating: Good

Personal by Lee Child

Genre: Thriller

When a shot is fired at the French president in Paris, Jack Reacher is recruited to apprehend the rogue sniper before he causes havoc at a forthcoming G8 meeting in London. Reacher teams up with…(more)

My Rating: Intriguing

The Rebel’s Sketchbook by Rupert Dreyfus The Rebel's Sketchbook

Genre: Satire

The Rebel’s Sketchbook is a collection of 13 first person satirical short stories. Subjects encompass capitalism, class war, drugs, viral culture, boy bands and zero hour contracts. The compilation’s motif is rebellion…(more)

My Rating: Good

Concrete Island by J. G. Ballard

Genre: Dystopia

35-year-old architect Robert Maitland is driving along the orbital road, Westway, in London, when he loses control of his Jaguar, ploughs through the barriers and plummets onto an underpass…(more)

My Rating: Okay

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Genre: Dystopia

Brave New World is set in a society where everything is controlled. The parentless, manufactured, free-loving population are dependent on a state-endorsed hallucinogenic, happiness drug called…(more)

My Rating: Thought-provoking

The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick Man in High Castle

Genre: Dystopia

After the allies lost World War II America was divided in half. The Germans occupied the east, the Japanese the west. It is now 1962. Robert Childan is the owner of an Americana antiques shop in San Francisco…(more)

My Rating: Interesting premise but convoluted

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Genre: Dystopia

Books are banned in this dystopian world, where firemen are employed to burn them. Guy Montag is a fireman, who lives an unfulfilling existence with Mildred, his sedentary, parlour-consuming wife…(more)

My Rating: Good

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Genre: Semi Autobiographical

Mrs Ramsay is devoted to her eight children, and her imperious, intellectual husband Mr Ramsay. They are staying in their holiday home on the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides. There is a tentative plan to visit…(more)

My Rating: Tedious & incredibly dense.

Make Me by Lee Child Make Me

Genre: Thriller

Lee Child’s alter ego Jack Reacher finds himself in Mother’s Rest, a dead end, small prairie town on the train line. Our protagonist is curious as to why the town got its name. At the local motel Reacher meets…(more)

My Rating: Not bad

Fire In The Hole by Elmore Leonard

Genre: Crime

This compilation, consisting of 9 short stories, is named after its longest title, Fire In The Hole, the inspiration for the television series Justified. It begins with a Kentucky-based Nazi called Boyd blowing up…(more)

My Rating: Entertaining

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The Books I Read This Year

Dec 25 2015

Happy Christmas everyone. This week’s blog post is dedicated to the books I read in 2015. This year I have read 20 books, which is 12 less than last year. This is because I devoted a great deal of time to my 3rd novel, Symbiosis. Symbiosis is a psychological thriller about twin girls called Talulah and Taliah. I will be revealing more information about Symbiosis next week.

The following 20 books are presented in the order in which I read them. Click on the links to read my reviews.

booksnew

My Childhood by Maxim Gorky (1915) – This is a harrowing account of a turbulent and cruel childhood.

Savage Night by Jim Thompson (1953) – A suspenseful crime novel that explores the ugly side of the human condition.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (1950) – A thought-provoking and at times humorous work about the evolution of technology

Chess Story by Stefan Zweig (1942) – This psychological novella examines the delicate divide that separates genius from madness.

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas de Quincey (1800) – A self-indulgent, turgid, grandiloquent language-laden ordeal.

Cocaine Nights by J.G. Ballard (1996) – A combination of crime thriller and dystopian fiction.

Heart of Darkness & Other Stories by Joseph Conrad (1899) – Three complex, atmospheric and insightful nautical themed tales.

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk (2007) – This challenging book employs an innovative interview format.

Alva & Irva by Edward Carey (2003) – A quaint and quirky novel whose themes include twinship and loneliness.

Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1968) – The cancer ward serves as a microcosm of Soviet society.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (1940) –This suspenseful but turgid text is set during the Spanish Civil War.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961) – A satire whose central theme is the futility of war.

2015

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (1932) – A compact, atmospheric and melancholic book that offers insights into the region’s history.

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925) – An innovative, intellectual, non-plot orientated work replete with pathos.

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934) – The parasitic protagonist is an American writer living in Paris.

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West (1939) – This poignant novel is prescient in its prediction of a celebrity-obsessed society.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962) – A ground-breaking and controversial book boasting an intriguing narrator.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884) – A satire of American southern antebellum society that parodies slavery.

A Gangster’s Grip by Heather Burnside (2015) – A fast-moving, plot-driven crime novel set in 90s Manchester.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1962) – (2nd reading) – The author puts a human face to the plight of the untold millions who suffered in the Soviet Union’s Gulags.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1877) – Currently reading.

I look forward to hearing about the books you read this year.

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)

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)

My Top 5 Transgressive Novels

Nov 21 2014

Definition: Transgressive literature is a genre that focuses on characters who feel confined by the norms and expectations of society and who break free of those confines in unusual and/or illicit ways.

Here are my Top 5 Transgressive Novels:

Fight Club

Chuck Palahniuk’s seminal work is about a nameless narrator, who starts a fight club with a charismatic anarchist by the name of Tyler Durden. Their fight club concept becomes very popular and spreads across the nation.

My Review: The protagonist, who remains nameless, is an insomniac leading a bland corporate existence, investigating accidents for a car company, whose only concern is profit. Unable to find meaning in a faceless consumerist society, he instead seeks solace in… (More)

American Psycho

American Psycho is a satire of the yuppies culture of the 1980s that caused outrage when it was published due to its explicit violent and sexual content. It went on to become a cult classic.

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its young author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame. The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier, Patrick Bateman… (More)

Junky

Junky is a sardonic, dark and humorous semi-autobiographical account of William S. Burroughs’s years spent using heroin. Its protagonist Bill Lee struggles to escape a cycle of drug dependency whilst trying to find meaning in his life.

My Review: Set in 1950s America and Mexico, Junky is a confessional novella about drug addiction. Its protagonist Bill Lee chronicles his drug-centred existence, which entails searching for his daily fix, scoring, and intravenous drug consumption …(More)

Post Office

Post Office is a darkly humorous, semi-autobiographical work about Charles Bukowski’s years spent working for the United States Postal Service. It describes the banality, dehumanisation and hardship of unskilled drudgery.

My Review: 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, delivering mail, observing his fellow colleagues and facing countless disciplinary measures… (More)

Necropolis

Necropolis is a satirical black comedy about a sociopath called Dyson, who works for the burial and cemeteries department in his local council. Okay, so I might have left myself open to accusations of hubris in including my own book alongside these four iconic texts…

Review: ‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire. No politically correct madness escapes unscathed, and no sacred cow remains un-butchered and served up in freezer packs.’ (More)

My Book Reviews

Oct 03 2014

On Tuesday I redesigned the book review section of my website (see My Reviews tab). There are now 56 reviews covering a diverse range of books. Previously resident book blogger Adam also contributed reviews, but he has found a home of his own (details to follow).

This week’s post takes the form of a friend asking me questions about my book reviews, and me answering. Perhaps this will lead to you discovering new books that are of interest.

(Note: Click on the book links to read my review)

Q. You have written 57 book reviews since you started your blog in addition to your weekly blog posts. Why?

A. As a writer of novels I find it useful to review the books I have read, as it helps me to analyse other authors writing styles. Above all I like writing book reviews because I enjoy sharing my reading experiences with others.

Q. Where else do you share your reviews?

A. goodreads, google+ and Twitter.

Q. What is the latest book you have read and reviewed?

A. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It is a 600+ page true crime classic about the Manson murders – a fascinating, if at times heavy going read.

Q. I see you have reviewed 4 of John Steinbeck’s lesser-known works? Would you recommend any?

A. All of them, but particularly The Wayward Bus and the novella The Pearl.

Q. As you know I love non-Fiction, particularly history. Have you read any non-Fiction lately that you think I would enjoy?

A. King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild tells the brutal history of the Belgian Congo. It is a fascinating if disturbing book.

Q. Have you reviewed any Indie books?

A. Yes, a few, and I have a couple more on my to-read list. I particularly enjoyed Barry Braithwaite’s Last Life by A R Lowe. It is a heart-warming tale about an alcoholic, with a less than impressive front cover that belies what lies beneath.

Q. Do you have a favourite non-English language author?

A. Joseph Roth, the Austro-Hungarian Jewish author. He is only now 75 years after his death getting the attention he deserves in the English speaking world. I have reviewed his seminal work, The Radetzky March and his novella The Legend of the Holy Drinker. His writing has a nostalgic tone, which I appreciate.

(Click here to read my rather morbid blog post about Roth’s demise).

Q. Your second novel Necropolis is a satirical black comedy that could be labelled as Transgressive Fiction. Have you reviewed any Transgressive books?

A. Yes, I’ve reviewed many books that could be labelled as Trangressive, including 6 Chuck Palahniuk novels and 4 of Bret Easton Ellis’s works. Peruse my book reviews and you will discover many more.

(Click here to read my blog post about the Trangressive genre).

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The 10 Books I’ve Read This Year

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