By BRUCE DENNILL & ROB HOFMEYR
Nutshell by Ian McEwan
A Wild Life by Martin Hughes-Games
The Spy by Paulo Coelho
Shadow by James Swallow
Nutshell is a kitchen-sink murder thriller with a couple of major twists. Firstly, it’s a retelling of Shakespeare’s story of Hamlet, with the same themes reimagined for contemporary society in all its banal seediness. Secondly, and more strikingly, it’s narrated by a foetus – the protagonist wondering about the benefits of being born, rather than seeking a way out via death. Curiously – and brilliantly – no sense of these over-arching ideas is necessary, as the story works very well without the references. Much of this success has to do with the contrast between the insignificance of the adult characters, whose actions are driven by selfishness and greed, and the pithy perspectives of the growing baby, their intellectual and moral superior in every way thanks to his absorbtion of literature, music and podcasts via his mother and her surroundings, from within the womb. This is a compact, concise drama that ask questions that extend far beyond its brevity – about how personal agendas affect others, possibly for life. Clever and wonderfully written. – BD
It’s difficult to see a book like A Wild Life being written in a couple of decades’ time. Martin Hughes-Games is a television producer who worked as a producer for the BBC for many years on shows such as Ultimate Killers and Incredible Animal Journeys, and this book collects some of his favourite tales of the drama and madness behind the scenes in pursuit of the best possible footage for whatever project was being worked on at the time. What makes these stories so appealing – along with Hughes-Games’ cheerful, self-deprecating writing style – is the freedom he and his teams had creatively to come up with often bizarre ideas and then to be able to execute them, almost regardless of the budgetary obstacles involved. Measure how fast a peregrine falcon dives by getting a cameraman to dive alongside it off a hot air balloon? No problem. See if a giant centipede’s bite really is the most agonising in nature? Signed off. Following a bird transmitting a signal through a hurricane and into an area notorious for kidnapping and drug smuggling? Sure, why not? This is a mad caper through some of the most exciting moments of a clearly satisfying career and a revelation for some in terms of the graft, creativity and sheer luck that goes into the creation of great television. Easy to read, and the sort of thing you might want to dip into again and again. – BD
The Spy is a mostly sympathetic examination – a novel (as is pointed out on the cover) rather than a biography – of the life of Mata Hari, the dancer, socialite and alleged double agent who was convicted of and executed for espionage on October 15, 1917. Paulo Coelho’s take on the impact she had on European society and her eventual downfall was that she was, as a strong-minded, independent woman who refused to adhere to the mores of the time, both excited and threatened people. While they were excited – by, among other things, erotic dance routines and the sort of glamour still utilised by modern-day celebrities to make their lifestyles appear aspirational – Hari could live her dreams. When they felt threatened – and during wartime that is inevitable – she, as something different and unpredictable, became an easy target. Coelho doesn’t let Hari off the hook on a personal level, detailing what are well-researched facets of her personality – her selfishness, driven by her ambition, and her willingness to use those around her to achieve her goals. Her was, and remains, a fascinating character, and this concise exploration of her is a diverting and captivating read. – BD
Shadow is a book populated by unbelievable characters, beginning with Nils Jakobs of the Belgian Federal Police, via Verbeke, the arch-criminal cum terrorist, to Marc Dane, ex-M16 field officer turned private security agent, and Lucy Keyes, recon sniper in the US military and now a private operator in the Rubicon Group (the more-or-less goodies in the story). But of course they do not need to be actual people: they are more like the figures in computer gaming – fast-moving, characterless and simply coming alive in action. This is a fast-moving story, involving the rescue of refugees on a ship crossing the Mediterranean into certain slavery, the first salvo in a drawn-our battle between goodies and baddies. Marc and Lucy hurtle from one continent to another, always in danger but always dangerous: on a rescue mission, involving a woman scientist trapped into facilitating germ warfare; pursuing hi-tech terrorists, using the latest technology themselves; and confused by who is in charge and who is to be trusted among the overlords. The book is in fact a display of technical marvels, being used for good and evil, and it is difficult for lay readers to discern what is fact and what is imagination. This is a gripping story, but read it without worrying too much about the superhuman, Captain Marvel endurance of the main characters. They can travel without sleeping or eating or abluting! They race from one setting to another. Thy win in the end, but sadly, like Sherlock Holmes’ Moriarty, Verbeke survives to challenge the world order again, undoubtedly in a sequel to this book. This is not literature. It is a written version of Global Offensive. – RH