Writing on Both Sides of the Brain (by Henriette Anne Klauser)

(Amazon UK link)

I knew nothing about Henriette Anne Klauser. But I kept seeing this book recommended on Amazon, based on my wishlist and general preferences. I read the reviews... I decided it probably wasn't worth having, since it's over twenty years old. I saw other reviews... I put it on my private wishlist. And then, when I had a discount for the Book Depository (which offers free postage to this country), I bought it there.

I have a large collection of writing books. Most of them are helpful in some ways. But 'Writing on Both Sides of the Brain' is one of the most inspiring books on writing that I have ever read. I only wish I'd found it sooner. 

It's not a how-to manual, or a book of exercises to get started. It doesn't explain how to create plots, or how to write dialogue, or how to submit manuscripts to publishers. Instead, it gets to the root of so many writers procrastinate, give up part-way through novels, abandon ideas for short stories or articles, and - in general - don't get around to sending anything off to anyone. If they even finish something.

The author explains - broadly - how we have two sides to our brains related to writing: the creative, inspiring part and the critical, editing part. We need both, but at different times. We need to show the critical editor to the door when engaged in the first draft of anything, and invite him in, politely, when it's time to revise.

Various techniques are suggested in this book to get us in the right frame of mind for writing. One interesting idea is to get going very early in the morning. Branching diagrams (called 'creative search' elsewhere) are fully explained, as is the benefit of rapid writing (irrelevant of quality), ruminating, and much more.

Procrastinating tendencies are examined, with pointed questions asked, and the reader is freed from the victim mentality that blames circumstances, into the attitude that we can choose - if we wish - to write, or not. We may even be surprised that our apparent rubbish is not as bad as the internal editor feared.

I was slightly dubious about the final section on meditation which seemed almost to suggest a 'spirit guide' in the form of a famous author, but it was only a brief addendum. The rest of the book was excellent. A little dated, in that computers were only mentioned at the end as a possibility, rather than the norm- but other than that, it could have been written far more recently.

Very highly recommended to anyone who writes - or would like to write - anything.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 23rd September 2010

The Double Life of Anna Day (by Louise Candlish)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Louise Candlish when I read her book 'Before we say Goodbye' just over a year ago. I enjoyed it so much that I determined to read more by this writer, and put some of her books on my wishlist. I'd pretty much forgotten about them, so was delighted to be given three for my birthday in April.

I've just finished the first of them, 'The Double Life of Anna Day'. The front cover makes it look like light, mildly amusing women's fiction - and indeed, that's the genre it best fits. But the plot is rather out-of-the ordinary, and the themes are quite thought-provoking, looking at women and their lifestyles and expectations in contemporary society.

Anna Day narrates the book, which is set in the present tense throughout. She tells us right at the start that she's living a double life, although it doesn't come easily to her. The problem is that she's deeply in love with Charlie, and hopes they might get married before too long.

Naturally she wants to meet his mother, Meredith, but Charlie has put this off for far too long. Meredith, he insists, is very protective of him, prone to bursts of anger, and since she was recently bereaved he does not want to make her distraught with the knowledge that her son has a serious girlfriend...

Then Charlie goes away on business for a few months. So Anna determines to take matters into her own hands. She re-models herself as the kind of sweet girl that her potential mother-in-law would like, hanging around her village, following her interests, even going on holiday with her...

The book took a while to get going, but I liked Anna's character very much, and by about half-way through was fully involved in the story. Anna juggles her high-flying career with her need to charm Meredith, and I found myself feeling for her more and more.

It's not, I suppose, a terribly realistic scenario, and the bittersweet ending was fairly predictable, but all in all I thought it a very enjoyable read. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes lightweight women's fiction that goes deeper than 'chicklit'.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 22nd September 2010

Families and How to Survive Them (by Robin Skynner and John Cleese)

(Amazon UK link)

I can remember when I first came across this book. It was probably about fifteen year ago; I saw it advertised in our local library in Birmingham. I picked it up, skimmed a page or two, put it down again. I knew of John Cleese, of course, from the TV series 'Fawlty Towers'. The other author, Robin Skynner, was apparently his family therapist. The book was written as a conversation between the two of them.

Over several weeks I grew steadily more intrigued, and finally borrowed a copy of 'Families and how to survive them' from the library. It basically covers beginning psychiatry for the layman. It's quite light-hearted, written with some humour, plenty of anecdotes, and a few fascinating digressions.

But in essence, it looks at the reasons why some people are happy while others are not; why some people have repressed emotions, and what happens to them; what can cause people to become 'stuck' emotionally in their development from babyhood as they grow up physically.

When I first read this, I found it extremely helpful in understanding my sons (who were then around eight and six) rather better, and seeing what stages they had reached. Even now, as an empty-nester, I can see a lot of value in this for self-help, working out how people tick, and why some are so much easier to get along with than others.

It's nothing to do with my regular favourite topic of personality preferences (which are inbuilt). This book is much more to do with family background and relationships, and shows how easy it is to pick up family habits and problems - and how it's possible to grow through and out of them too.

The humour is decidedly 'British', with a fair amount of irony. A non-British friend once told me that she simply didn't get the cartoon line-drawings scattered here and there in the text; she even found some of them mildly offensive. There's the odd curse-word too.

But overall, I felt the book well worth reading. Re-reading recently, it gave me several 'aha' moments. Take it with a pinch of salt; I certainly don't agree with every word. But if you ever wanted to know why some families get along and others don't, in broad terms, I'd recommend this book highly.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 15th September 2010

If only they could talk (by James Herriot)

(Amazon UK link)

I first heard of the vet series by James Herriot when the BBC series 'All Creatures Great and Small' was shown on television. Despite not being a huge fan of TV, I found myself drawn to this programme, and watched several episodes. I was delighted to find that it was based on books, and over the years have collected them all.

I recently re-read the first in the series, 'If Only They Could Talk'. Now considered a classic, this was one of the earliest of the semi-autobiographical fiction genre, and also - in my view - one of the best. The opening chapter, a kind of prologue, describes his experience of delivering a calf on a freezing cold snowy night - something which his college text books had not warned him about!

Then the story back-tracks to his informal interview as a newly qualified vet, with the eccentric Siegfried Farnon. It moves seamlessly to his first cases, and covers the first year of his life in Darrowby. There he delivers many more farm animals, is adopted as 'uncle' to the spoilt Pekingese Tricky Woo, and gradually learns to love the Yorkshire Dales.

The book is so well written that even medical procedures that would not normally interest me at all become intriguing and somehow not gory at all. But most of all I enjoyed reading about the relationships the author slowly develops with the local farmers, and also with Siegfried and his younger brother Tristan.

I find myself imagining them looking like the TV vets - and yet they were cast sufficiently well that there's no difficulty reconciling them with the descriptions and conversations.

Definitely recommended. Still in print in the UK; note that in the USA this book is published along with the second in the series, in a volume entitled (like the TV show) 'All Creatures Great and Small'.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 3rd September 2010