Being more familiar with his poetic works and not his actual life, I was keen to read a biographic piece on such a historic and beloved writer.
A truly moving life story that reads smooth in this new translation and punctuated by amazing artwork by the immensely talented 'Anwot'.
Highly recommended and a definite must share with fellow lovers of poetry, history and of course, love (however hard it can be at times).
At the heart of this book is a web of citations from George Orwell's masterpiece 1984, very relatable (YouTube) music, a myriad of feedback from information spanning science, medicine, politics, AI, and cyberpunk culture. Each of Docteur Cybirdy’s rhapsody is intricately woven into this rich spectrum of our global culture, serving as emotional signposts that guides the reader through the labyrinth of a global consciousness and suffering. Each of Orwell’s citations is selected precisely, pinpointing the reader into a direction and serving as a read thread.
The doctor and Melo, bonding over shared interests in anthropology, gothic fashion and punk music, have a subtle but satisfying chemistry. While Elpis’s recollections of her journey as a medical doctor are interesting, it is Melo’s character and development that carry the novel. Melo is engaging and multifaceted, and her struggles and journeys through various friendships and relations and her challenges regarding family life, her autism and her sexuality keep the novel vibrant and captivating.
This splendid little volume repays study.
A retranslation of Andre Maurois’ book - a fictionalised biography of Shelley which was the first ever Penguin Paperback, published in the summer of 1935 - was overdue.
Shelley’s doomed Romantic career trajectory makes him the poster boy of the movement and the fictional narrative is fascinating not least because it is also very largely history.
I was interested enough to compare this translation with that of Ella D’Arcy (1935) and concluded that this new book has performed a public service by its more engaging idiomatic approach.
Among its other virtues, Ariel would make a a good introduction to Shelley and the Romantics for any young adult reader.
The illustrations by Anwot add interest and are also very contemporary and metropolitan.
It would be churlish to dwell upon the few literals scattered through the text which a subsequent edition could quickly tidy up. The cover image is arresting and the layout very accessible.
In brief, a worthy addition to the literature surrounding Shelley, his circle (Godwin, Byron et al) and the Romantics in general.
Silent Riders of the Sea is a remarkable story of grief and struggle that seeps into your flesh and bones and lingers. It's a story that drags you through the coal mines and onto a freezing ship where sailors are sick and starving and the management are willing to let them die as they seek to earn as much as they can. It's told through the eyes of a miner-turned-sailor called Jack and reads like a fever dream. It's raising the bar on what I'll now expect from Scottish literature in the future, and with that being said, I can't recommend it enough.