Remembrance Sunday

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

~ In Flanders Fields by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae ~

Lest We Forget

1914-1918, 1939-1945

WW1 Recommendations

War Horse

by Michael Morpurgo

War Girls

by Adèle Geras, Melvin Burgess, Berlie Doherty, Mary Hooper, Anne Fine, Matt Whyman, Theresa Breslin, Sally Nicholls and Rowena House

Birdsong

by Sebastian Faulks

Wake

by Anna Hope

Regeneration

by Pat Barker

WW2 Recommendations

Code Name Verity

by Elizabeth Wein

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

by John Boyne

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

The Key to Rebecca

by Ken Follett

The Welsh Girl

by Peter Ho Davies

Top 5 | Worst Book Adaptations

From Harry Potter to The Great Gatsby, over the past few years book adaptations have been absolutely everywhere. I've already done two previous posts in which I talk about my ten favourite adaptations, so now I think it's time that we address those adaptations that we wish had never been made in the first place.

This post isn't meant to be cruel or to make fun of anyone's tastes, these are just my five worst book adaptations!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

dir. Chris Columbus

Based on The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

First up we have Chris Columbus's adaptation of the first book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

Now I have to admit I haven't actually read any of the Percy Jackson books. Yet. I actually started The Lightning Thief some time last year and I really enjoyed the chapters I read, but then my dissertation got in the way and I just haven't returned to it. While I have yet to really read the series, the chapters I did read were enough to tell me that the film isn't a very faithful adaptation.

That being said, I do actually like this film! If I watch it and forget it was a book first it's a lot of fun - something easy to watch on the nights when I just want to relax and not think. Even so, as much as it might be a fun film, it's not a good adaptation.

Inkheart (2008)

dir. Iain Softley

Based on Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

In many ways this adaptation of the first book in Cornelia Funke's Inkworld trilogy is the same as the Percy Jackson adaptations. If you forget about the books entirely and just watch this film then it's an enjoyable film; I remember seeing the film advertised in the cinema before I'd even heard of the books and I thought it looked really cool, but thankfully I read the trilogy before I watched it.

The main reason this book has made my list is because I love the Inkworld trilogy. I discovered it during my teens and I absolutely adored it; Funke's worldbuilding is fantastic and her characters are beautifully written (though I have to admit Meggie becomes less and less of a main protagonist after the first book). So when the film adaptation was relatively weak in comparison and the ending ruined the possibility of them making adaptations of the second and third books, I was so disappointed.

There's so much in this trilogy that I actually think it would make a brilliant TV series instead!

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

dir. Mel Stuart

Based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Whenever I tell someone I prefer Tim Burton's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I'm usually met with gaping mouths and cries of: 'but the 70's adaptation is a classic!'

I, however, really cannot stand this adaptation. Why? Because rather than telling the story of a little boy whose luck finally changes when he finds the last golden ticket, this film is basically 'The Gene Wilder Show'. The fact that the name in the title has been changed is proof enough of that.

For me the 2005 adaptation is a lot more bizarre, fun and true to the original story. Obviously I don't expect an exact replica of a book when I sit down to watch an adaptation, but this film really takes the biscuit. It's also worth mentioning that Roald Dahl himself disowned this film, claiming that he was disappointed with the lack of emphasis on Charlie.

Eragon (2006)

dir. Stefen Fangmeier

Based on Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Do I really need to say anything?

I'm not a fan of Eragon. I tried reading the book a few years ago and I managed to get about three quarters of the way through before I just had to put it down. Whenever I've told fans of the Inheritance Cycle this they've often told me that the series gets especially good from the second book onwards, but I'm not the kind of reader who appreciates having to 'just get through' the first book before I can start to enjoy the story. I could be reading something else!

Having said that, even though I've never finished the book even I can recognise that this adaptation is just appalling. Like Percy Jackson and Inkheart, if you forget that this is an adaptation you can sit down and enjoy it on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but even then it's still a pretty bad film.

I really do feel sorry for fans of the Inheritance Cycle.

Birdsong (2012)

dir. Philip Martin

Based on Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Unlike the other adaptations on this list, this adaptation of Birdsong is a two-part BBC drama. And it's terrible.

If you haven't read Birdsong then I can't recommend it highly enough, and now that we're honouring the 100 year anniversary of WW1 it's the perfect time to read it. It's a story that takes place both in France during WW1 and in England during the 70's. In France we follow a soldier called Stephen Wraysford through his harrowing experiences, and in the 70's we follow Elizabeth, his granddaughter, who is trying to learn more about the war.

It's one of those stories that will haunt you forever. Every now and then it creeps back into your mind and it's just stunning.

So when I discovered the BBC were doing an adaptation I was both excited and extremely nervous. Then I watched it, and was devastatingly disappointed. So much so that I didn't bother watching the second part. Honestly, the majority of the first part was just Eddie Redmayne and Clemence Poesy staring at each other in what I think was supposed to be sexual frustration, but looked more like constipation. I wasn't a fan of the casting either; Redmayne looks nothing like the Stephen I imagined while I was reading.

Out of all the adaptations on this list this one is definitely my least favourite - just seeing the cover makes me grumpy.

So those are my least favourite book adaptations, what are yours?

J.

Jess Suggests | Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is a genre which I love but a genre I am also very fussy with. There is a lot of fantastic Historical fiction out there, but there are also many books out there which, to me, are nothing more than royal family fanfiction which try to romanticise fairly brutal periods of our past. There must always be some fabrication - to an extent - to enjoy a piece of Historical fiction as a story rather than simply a list of facts, but when it isn't executed well it can be cringe-worthy.

     
I don't claim to be an expert, but as a lover of history (and someone who's currently working on a Historical fiction novel) I think I know a good piece of Historical fiction when I see one. So, without further ado, here are five Historical fiction novels you simply have to read:

Witch Child 

by Celia Rees

Welcome to the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary’s startling story begins in 1659, the year her beloved grandmother is hanged in the public square as a witch. Mary narrowly escapes a similar fate, only to face intolerance and new danger among the Puritans in the New World. How long can she hide her true identity? Will she ever find a place where her healing powers will not be feared?

This is the novel which really got me into Historical fiction, as such it has a very special place on my bookshelf; particularly since I was lucky enough to meet the author and get my copy signed a couple of years ago. 

     

I first read this book when I was around thirteen, I saw it on the bookshelf and was drawn in, as many people are, by the haunting photograph on the cover. I've always loved history, particularly religious and supernatural history (even as a child, due to my somewhat morbid fascination with the weird, the wonderful, and the cruel) so this book was perfect for me. After the execution of her beloved grandmother, the enchanting Mary Newbury, blessed with peculiar healing powers, travels to the New World with a group of Puritans so as to save herself from the gallows. There she is caught between two cultures: the new settlers who may still hang her if they believe her to be a witch, and the Native American people who see themselves in her talents.

     

Witch Child is a marvellous mash-up of genres; it's both a piece of Historical fiction and also a YA novel told through Mary's insightful diary entries. So if you find Historical fiction boring, intimidating, or a little difficult to get into I highly recommend starting with this book! 

Birdsong 

by Sebastian Faulks

Set before and during the great war, Birdsong captures the drama of that era on both a national and a personal scale. It is the story of Stephen, a young Englishman, who arrives in Amiens in 1910. Over the course of the novel he suffers a series of traumatic experiences, from the clandestine love affair that tears apart the family with whom he lives, to the unprecedented experiences of the war itself.

During the first year of my A Levels I was lucky enough to study war literature - specifically the First World War - and it was fascinating. Unfortunately Birdsong wasn't one of the texts on our course, but it was given to us to read anyway and I'm so glad it was. This book is stunning.

This novel uses the technique of telling the story through two different protagonists in two different time frames. This technique is often used in Historical fiction, and is ideal for readers out there who find history intimidating by giving them a modern day protagonist who is as curious and unsure about the past as they are. The reader follows both Stephen, a soldier fighting in the First World War, and Elizabeth, Stephen's granddaughter living in the 1960s who is trying to find out more about her grandfather.

Whether you're a fan of history or not this book will stay with you forever. It's haunting, moving and both incredibly brutal and very touching. This is one of those books you simply have to read before you die, but don't read it without a box of tissues nearby!

Dissolution 

by C. J. Sansom

It is 1537, a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in England since 1066. Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church. The country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers it has ever seen. And under the order of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent through the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be oneoutcome: dissolution. 

But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwells Commissioner, Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege.

Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell to uncover the truth behind the dark happenings at Scarnsea. But investigation soon forces Shardlake to question everything that he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes...

Historical Crime fiction is an undoubtedly popular strand of Historical fiction, and as far as I'm concerned C. J. Sansom is one of the best authors of this particular strand.

Dissolution is the first book in the Shardlake series, of which there are currently five books: Dissolution; Dark Fire; Sovereign; Revelation and Heartstone. Each book is a separate story in and of itself, but it involves the same characters who gradually develop over time, so I would recommend beginning with Dissolution and reading them in chronological order.

Our main character is lawyer Matthew Shardlake, a Reformer and hunchback living in Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. In Dissolution, Matthew is sent to a monastery in the south, which is in the process of being dissolved, to look into the murder of Cromwell's commissioner. Here his wits, his loyalty and the religious beliefs he holds most dear are put to the test.

If the Tudor era interests you then you should definitely give this series a try! Having studied History at university Sansom delivers an accurate portrayal of what living in Tudor England was like at a time of tremendous religious change.

This is easily one of my favourite series of all time.

The Book Thief 

by Markus Zusak

HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. 

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH.

It's a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.

ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES.

The Book Thief is aimed towards younger audiences in the same way that Witch Child is, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed by people of all ages. The protagonist, Liesel, is a child, but Liesel is not the narrator of the story. Instead our narrator is the age old figure of Death, and given that the novel is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War Death is a very busy guy.

What makes this novel so wonderful is the way that it's told. Because our narrator is the all-knowing figure of Death we are often told about events - including character deaths - long before they happen, and yet when they do happen they're still heartbreaking even though we have spent the entire book expecting them. Zusak weaves an entire town of characters for his readers to fall absolutely in love with, and we fall in love with them because they're ordinary people living through an extraordinary era of history.

If you're a fan of fiction set during the Second World War but are a little tired of the typical narrator, this book is for you!

Corrag

by Susan Fletcher

The Massacre of Glencoe happened at 5am on 13th February 1692 when thirty-eight members of the Macdonald clan were killed by soldiers who had enjoyed the clan's hospitality for the previous ten days. Many more died from exposure in the mountains. Fifty miles to the south Corrag is condemned for her involvement in the Massacre. She is imprisoned, accused of witchcraft and murder, and awaits her death. The era of witch-hunts is coming to an end - but Charles Leslie, an Irish propagandist and Jacobite, hears of the Massacre and, keen to publicise it, comes to the tollbooth to question her on the events of that night, and the weeks preceding it. Leslie seeks any information that will condemn the Protestant King William, rumoured to be involved in the massacre, and reinstate the Catholic James. Corrag agrees to talk to him so that the truth may be known about her involvement, and so that she may be less alone, in her final days. As she tells her story, Leslie questions his own beliefs and purpose - and a friendship develops between them that alters both their lives.

I started this post with witches, so it feels right to end it with witches.

Unlike Witch Child, Corrag is not a YA novel and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to people who prefer fast-paced novels. Fletcher takes her time to set the scene - her descriptions of the landscape are stunning - and coax you into the story, but it's so worth it.

The story follows Corrag, who has been imprisoned for witchcraft and murder following the Glencoe Massacre. She is one of the sweetest, loveliest fictional heroines I have come across in a long time - it's incredibly difficult to not fall in love with her.

She, of course, has her own story as to what happened the night of the massacre, and when she is visited in prison by Jacobite Charles Leslie, who longs to see the Catholic King James back on the throne, she has the chance to tell her side. Her storytelling is interwoven with letters that Leslie writes to his wife, and over the course of the novel a beautiful friendship develops between the two of them.

This book is very close to my heart. It's just beautiful, so if you haven't already please pick it up and give it a try!

There we have it! I hope this has been somewhat helpful in your search for Historical fiction. If you already read the genre then I hope you read even more this year, and if it's a genre you tend to stay away from I hope 2014 is the year you give it a go!