a view through my own eyes

This one was a Christmas present from mrspao and I have been looking forward to reading it for a while.

Here Banks takes science fiction and weaves one man and his servant’s quest to get justice for the murder of his father on the micro level with civilizations at war on the macro level.

I sometimes wonder whether Banks plays chess, because he has this utter knack of having everything in front of you from relatively early on and yet he manages to hide everything at the same time revealing things at times of his choosing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, particularly the concept of ‘Matter’ games within games where the games involves lives, civilizations, worlds and even the universe.

The one niggly point for me though was not the changing character of the servant (Holse) but the radical change that takes place.

On the whole though a recommended read for science fiction lovers – the scale is on a level that I have only seen Banks do well.

1. I hate cheese, with a passion. I do try a piece now and again – the flavour, texture and smell does nothing for me, but given a choice I would choose to gnaw my own leg off.
2. I love cheese and onion crisps.
3. I used to love climbing trees as a kid.
4. I fell out of a few but never broke any bones.
5. I return to Deal once a year for fish and chips from Middle Street chippy and go and eat them on the beach by the pier.
6. I am rubbish at making Yorkshire Pudding, my late mother was excellent at it, handily my Gran still is – I should get instructions.
7. As I kid I discovered that eating a couple of raw OXO cubes along with a pint of Ribena, led to my mum crapping herself when I threw up.
8. I worked in Comet at weekends selling electrical goods and called it a day after a couple of months.
9. We had spaniel called Jet and a cat named Tiger.
10. My wife is my bestest friend ever.
11. I used to know how to do Rubik’s Cube and used to solve them at school for other kids in payment of Mars Bars.
12. I loved Dr Who as a kid and still do, as a kid I hid behind a cushion, now I hide behind mrspao.
13. As a student I drove taxis four nights a week and still did a full week at college.
14. I remember seeing Star Wars at the cinema when I was 7 and being utterly blown away.
15. I have always spent more time reading books than watching TV.
16. But I have seen almost every Formula 1 grand prix on TV since the mid 1980s.
17. I bought a dartboard with Christmas money one year, Mum went apeshit, Dad hung the darboard up and challenged me to a game.
18. I learnt to play the trombone at school but was rubbish at it.
19. I really really like Champagne marmalade from Fortnum & Mason’s.
20. I read The Lord of the Rings roughly once every two years.
21. Saphhire and Steel scared the crap out of me as a kid, so much so that although mrspao bought them for me on DVD I still have not watched them.
22. Green Triangles are the best Quality Street ever, my grandparents used to own a corner shop and did pick n mix of Quality Street. I do not beleive that they ever sold a Green Triangle.
23. My favourite food is Shepherds Pie, my mum made used the make the best ever; now I have to make it myself – I think it is just about edible.
24. I like a fine pint of ale, Double Dragon from the Felinfoel Brewery is marvellous.
25. The best day of my life was my wedding day.

Mrspao bought me this for Christmas, I discovered a day or so after I finished it that this is also the book that Rah leant me a couple of years ago and is gathering dust. Rah – I am sorry but will return it.

Anyway, set in the middle ages as civil war rages across Britain between King Stephen and Empress Maud over the succession of the English throne. This tale follows the lives of Prior Philip, Tom the Builder and other whose names escape me at present; as a new cathedral is built over the period of forty or so years.

At times funny, serious, lessons in architecture, deeply moving, violent, shocking and occasionally mildly erotic, the story gives us a tale made of love, passion, faith, treachery and politics affecting all of the characters involved to one extent or another.

It is a large book, but does quickly draw you in and keeps you enthralled, my only disappointment was that it ended almost too soon.

I think this has to go down as one of the best books I have ever read.