The Reading Room

SPOILER Review: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015)

Another new episode from our sister programme SPOILER - to subscribe to SPOILER, please go to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk 

This week, against Paul’s express wishes, the Spoiler team have accepted a listener request and are reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s philosophical fantasy novel ‘The Buried Giant’. This dense meditation on collective memory pretty much splits the team three ways, with professed fantasy fan Rachael wishing for more fantastical elements and Andy, who is ambivalent at best about the fantasy genre, pleased to find the emphasis more on themes and ideas than on ogres and pixies. Paul, meanwhile, is perplexed and frustrated by the slow pace, the lack of action and the fact that everyone is so unnecessarily courteous. It doesn’t help that certain elements of the book also remind him of Chris de Burgh! Regardless of their opinions on the text itself, the team use it as a jumping-off point for interesting discussions on our reaction as human beings to concepts and events that we struggle to process. And everyone agrees that the numerous critical comparisons with ‘Game of Thrones’ are as lazy as DJs who play The Bangles ‘Manic Monday’ on a Monday morning.

Elsewhere, Rachael takes a sublimely uplifting look at Kazuo Ishiguro’s lesser-known stint as a jazz lyricist, with plenty of lovely musical interludes to enjoy.

This week’s scale: A giant in the world of fiction or a book that should be buried deep, deep in the ground

SPOILER Review: Wonder by R J Palacio

“There should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives”

This week the Spoiler team are feeling inspired as we read R.J. Palacio’s children’s novel ‘Wonder’. Paul predicts that Andy, given his favourite film is ‘Dumbo’, will enjoy this (for the record, Paul’s favourite film is ‘Paddington’) and its themes of kindness make Rachael a shoo-in but Paul teases the group by managing to spin out his opinion for as long as possible. Still, all the misdirection in the world can’t ultimately hide the fact that everyone loved this book and tears flow freely as Paul deliberately skirts the issue of Daisy the dog’s passing, Andy recounts a childhood experience of prejudice and Rachael remembers her relationship with her own grandmother. Rachael illustrates the difference between bullying and a gentle ribbing by making fun of Paul's strange pronunciation of the word ‘Mobile’, while Andy wonders if the novel could have found a place for the voice of school bully Julian. On the subject of voices, Paul struggles with his usual routine of listening to the audio book when he finds the impersonation of a child’s voice unlistenable but fortunately the YouTube channel ‘Mrs. Powers Loves to Read’ comes to his rescue. And the team get to the bottom of the mystery of the strange man who has been seen around Lincoln punching the air and crying at birch trees.

Elsewhere, Rachael decries the modern phenomenon of replacing book covers with images from their movie adaptations, a dubious honour bestowed upon ‘Wonder’, ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’.

This week’s scale: A respectful abstention

To find out more about our current podcast SPOILER, and listen to previous shows, go to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk 

SPOILER: Romeo & Juliet (Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film based on... well, you know what it's based on!)

“If love be rough with you, be rough with love”

Three reviewers, alike in temperament (if not always in opinion), sit down this week to talk some serious culture as the Spoiler team take a look at Baz Luhrmann’s Shakespeare adaptation ‘Romeo + Juliet’. Paul wonders just how many meads he must have had when he suggested we tackle the Bard, while Andy shares his concerns that talking Shakespeare could expose the fact he’s not as clever as he’s often credited with being. Self-proclaimed Shakespeare traditionalist Rachael struggles with the MTV style of Luhrmann’s film but applauds his contribution to making the Bard’s work the visual experience it was always intended to be. While Paul bemoans the fact that Radiohead’s ‘Exit Music (For a Film)’ is not as deep as he once thought but delights in the fact that Billy Bragg’s ‘Between the Wars’ gets even better with age, Andy questions whether Rachael’s interest in the ‘Hollow Crown’ series has more to do with her love of language or the presence of a certain Mr. Hiddleston. And the team debate whether the word ‘punished’ is made more dramatic by the addition of an extra syllable.

Elsewhere, Rachael takes a look at some less-obvious Shakespeare adaptations that reinterpret the Bard’s work in a looser fashion, including ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘The Lion King’.

This week’s scale: True love or “All are punish-ed”

To listen to more SPOILER podcasts, go to our website www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk or subscribe to us on iTunes or Acast

SPOILER Review: Children of Men based on the book by PD James

“Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices”

This week we’re watching Alfonso Cuaron’s dystopian thriller ‘Children of Men’, based (very loosely) on the 1992 novel by PD James and starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine and Pam Ferris - and not all the team are entirely convinced. While Rachael is “saturated” in the film and Paul wonders how this hidden gem passed him by, Andy finds it impossible to connect with ‘Children of Men’ on an emotional level and would rather spend the show discussing daytime quiz show ‘Countdown’.

While the team are in full agreement about the film’s technical excellence, Andy and Rachael are at odds over the performances of the cast and Paul takes issue with claims that the film is a story that has had its guts ripped out and nothing put back in their place. Despite the disharmony, Paul shares his plans for surviving an imminent apocalypse and gives the team 4 hours to join him in his Co-Op distribution centre. And for all you Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon fans, we’ll be showing you how to get from Clive Owen to our own producer Jonny Haw in just two moves.

Elsewhere, inspired by the cat that likes to climb up Clive Owen’s leg, Rachael takes a look at some of her favourite cats in films, including Jonesy from ‘Alien’ and Cosmic Creepers from ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’.

To hear more from our current podcast SPOILER, go to our website or subscribe to us on iTunes.

High-Rise (2015 film based on the novel by J G Ballard): SPOILER Episode 23

“I don’t work for you. I work for the building”

This week we’re watching Ben Wheatley’s film adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s supposedly "unfilmable" dystopian thriller ‘High-Rise’ and the team are at odds again, though not about Tom “so handsome it hurts” Hiddleston. With Andy occupying Paul’s usual spot on the fence, Paul wonders how anyone could possibly put themselves through this film more than once, while Rachael advocates reading the original novel as a possible way to unlock the film’s appeal. While Andy compares ‘High-Rise’ to the music of The Fall, Paul experiments with a new way of saying Rachael’s name while Rachael tries to find a point of entry, causing everyone else to look for a point of exit! Despite Paul’s hankering for some politically-inspired vandalism, everything remains fairly harmonious until the subject of ‘No Country for Old Men’ comes up.

Elsewhere in two very different features, Rachael takes a dreamy look at the highs and lows of being a Hiddlestoner while Andy plunges headlong into the nightmare world of screen violence.

This week’s scale: Soft, delicious mashed potato or 1980s robot-advertised instant mash

To hear more from our current podcast SPOILER, go to our website or subscribe to us on iTunes.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: SPOILER Episode 22

“Just when you think life can’t possibly get any worse it suddenly does”

This week we’re reading Douglas Adams’ cult sci-fi comedy novel ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. While Paul wonders if anyone anywhere dislikes this book, Rachael tries her best to cast a critical eye over this beloved work by comparing it to the original radio series, while Andy shares his favourite joke of all time with the team (it involves hippos). Paul describes the difficulty of trying to simultaneously cope with jogging, having a mid-life crisis and listening to this audio book, Andy suggests that knocking back a few drinks might help to realign the brain to Adams’ distinctive brand of logic and the naturally squiffy-brained Rachael sets down her very strict rules for discovering more books that mix the mundane with the fantastical.

Elsewhere, Andy takes a look at strange and ludicrous character names in films, Rachael explores the potentially controversial practice of new authors taking on existing series, and both manage to have a pop at James Bond’s sexual politics in the process.

This week’s scale: Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster or Vogon poetry

For more episodes of SPOILER, please go to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk

Room by Emma Donoghue - SPOILER Podcast Episode 17

"When I was small, I only knew small things"

This week we're watching and reading "Room" by Emma Donoghue as we take a look at both the original 2010 book and the 2015 film adaptation starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay.

The team approach this powerful story with trepidation, especially Paul who was unable to bear the tension of watching the film from start to finish. Andy and Rachael find themselves feeling so protective towards Jack and Ma that they didn't want to close the book and "leave them on their own".  And as we compare and contrast the book with the movie version, we look at what was lost in the adaptation to the big screen, but also what was gained in the brilliant performances of all the cast,in particular the outstanding Jacob Tremblay.

Meanwhile, inspired by some of the themes in Room, Andy takes a nostalgic look back at a room which played a big part in his life.

This week's scale: Book or Film

Ready Player One by Ernest Kline: SPOILER Podcast Preview

“Going outside is highly overrated” 

This week in our new show SPOILER, we're reading Ernest Kline's "nerdgasm" of a book, Ready Player One.  As Rachael and Andy get in touch with their inner geek, Paul has been frittering away more of his short time on this earth collating every pop culture reference in the book and putting them into another of his legendary remixes (see video version below…).

Meanwhile, the dystopian setting of Ready Player One leads Rachael to consider the popularity of dystopian settings in teen fiction, and there's an unscheduled interruption from Andy…

To hear more from SPOILER go to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk or subscribe here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/spoiler/id1042430544?mt=2

Stoner by John Williams: SPOILER podcast preview

"She turned to him and pulled her lips into what he knew must be a smile"

This week, in another chance to catch up with our new show SPOILER, we're reading John Williams' sleeper hit "Stoner" which, contrary to Paul's assumption, is not a "1990s drug romp", but a 1965 novel about the quiet, unassuming life of a quiet,unassuming man, William Stoner.  The book was largely ignored at the time of its original publication and famously took nearly half a century to become a hit, which leads Rachael to consider some other literary late bloomers....

To hear more from SPOILER go to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk or subscribe here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/spoiler/id1042430544?mt=2

SPOILER Podcast: Us by David Nicholls

“While there was breath in my body, she would never lack sufficient AA batteries.”

Another opportunity to try out our new podcast "Spoiler", and this week we're reading David Nicholls much anticipated novel "Us", the story of middle aged Biochemist Douglas Peterson whose wife announces her intention to leave him when their teenage son leaves home for University – but first there's the small matter of taking one final family holiday together.

We discuss how the novel measures up to Nicholl's previous smash hit One Day, and Rachael takes a look at some strategies other authors have used to deal with the pressure of writing a follow-up.  Meanwhile, Paul reveals that the book made him cry, and takes the opportunity to list 10 TV shows which also cause him to blub like a little girl.

To hear more from SPOILER go to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk or subscribe here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/spoiler/id1042430544?mt=2