“Hugh Glass isn’t afraid to die. He’s done it once already.”

Rating: 5/5

Expert tracker Hugh Glass is viciously attacked by a bear and appears to be on death’s door. The two men ordered to stay with him steal his belongings and abandon him in the wilderness. Soon a revived Glass is on a quest for revenge and he will not stop until he succeeds…

The Revenant is the book that inspired the Oscar-winning movie and finally earned Leonardo DiCaprio his well deserved Oscar for his powerful portrayal of Hugh Glass. It is not difficult to see why Leo was drawn to such a role. The character of Glass is one of strength, courage and determination. His character carries most of the film, much of it in silence.

Visually, the film is stunning and has become my favourite movie this year. With this in mind, I did wonder if I would enjoy the book as much, particularly as my sister didn’t really enjoy the novel and gave up early on. Notably, she hadn’t seen the film, so perhaps she might have been more inclined to continue reading if she had.

Normally I prefer to read a book before its film adaptation, but this time it actually enhanced my reading. I was able to recall the beautiful backdrop setting and visualise the different places along Glass’ difficult journey. I’m usually drawn to books with more dialogue, but I remained completely enthralled in Punke’s vivid descriptions of the scenery as well as Glass’ encounters and experiences. Punke’s writing immersed me into the story and I became awed at Glass’ tenacity through such extreme weather conditions, considering the seriousness of his injuries. Punke succeeds in highlighting the horror of Glass’ attack through brutal imagery, which is just as gory as depicted in its film adaptation. It is difficult not to flinch when reading some of the passages in this novel and it is astonishing to read just how strong the human spirit can be when necessary.

The Revenant may be a work of fiction, but the character of Hugh Glass is certainly true. However, some legend has filtered through the history of what happened to Glass. The film has some notable differences that add more dramatic depth to the story, but the novel is still rich in its storytelling. Some of the events in Glass’ life are truly remarkable and the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction” comes to mind.

“Revenant – n. one who has returned, as if from the dead.”

Glass is a resourceful and patient character who demonstrates just how much one can survive and endure when their life is at stake. I found myself thinking what I would do if I was in that situation and I’m sure I would give up! Not so Hugh Glass, who soldiers on in order to get his revenge. He proves that anything can be done when you put your mind to it and, when you are truly desperate, you will even resort to eating anything that you can get your hands on. Such sheer circumstances are a true test of what a human being can endure and Glass never gives up.

Although the book may be a harrowing tale, there are some light comedic moments, particularly the camaraderie between some of the characters. The book may be lacking in female characters, but it doesn’t detract from the novel and is simply a reflection of its period setting. The other memorable character is Fitzgerald, who abandons Glass after his attack. Fitzgerald is depicted by Tom Hardy in the film and the character in the novel is just as evil and appears to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He provides an excellent foil to Glass’ character and becomes the main motivation for Glass to keep on living, just to quench his thirst for revenge.

The history in the novel is enthralling and shows just how difficult life could be during such a simple period devoid of today’s comforts. The conflict with the Native Indians is not shied away from in the novel and some of the violence that occurs is horrifying. Despite the heavy source material, I found the novel to be an easy read and even though I may have known most of the story and its outcome, I was still gripped by Glass and his arduous journey of survival and revenge. Quite simply, The Revenant is a must read!

Have you read The Revenant? Have you seen the film? How do you feel they compare? Do you prefer to read the book first before a movie adaptation? Let me know what you think!

Rating: 4/5

I’ve been extremely excited to read this debut novel by Lisa McInerney, having known her briefly through one of my best friends during our student days in Cork City many moons ago. It is fantastic to see someone from home doing so well and Lisa has received rave reviews for her novel, which has recently won the Baileys Women’s Prize For Fiction 2016.

The Glorious Heresies is set in Cork City and revolves around a multitude of shady characters who interconnect through various dark circumstances. The opening of the novel sets the bleak tone of the story with the killing of a man by fifty nine year old Maureen, who arranges for her son Jimmy to sort out her unfortunate predicament. Being the most feared gangster in Cork City, Jimmy has no shortage of henchmen to do his dirty work for him. He quickly finds someone willing to clean up Maureen’s mess and this leads to a sequence of events that changes many of the characters’ lives forever.

Jimmy’s childhood friend Tony, father of six children and an alcoholic, comes to Jimmy’s assistance, being in desperate need of the money. Tony’s teenage son is already dipping his toes into the gangland world. Of course, things don’t always go to plan, especially when Georgie, the girlfriend of the dead man, starts to question why her boyfriend has vanished.

Admittedly, I wasn’t sure about this book on my initial reading. The novel is so dark and depressing and portrays a side of Cork City that I’m relieved to say I have never witnessed. However, I soon became immersed in the gritty underworld of gangland Cork and was intrigued to see where the story would take these characters. There is an inevitable feeling that nothing bodes well for any of these characters and many of their actions lead them down a dark path.

This is not a book for the fainthearted. Drugs, murder, prostitution, violence, sex and coarse language feature predominantly throughout the novel. However, this serves to accurately portray the harsh realism of the criminal underworld. While it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I became drawn to the people in the story and willed characters such as Ryan and Georgie to turn their lives around and move on from the sort of lifestyles that were dragging them down. The novel is realistic in the way it shows how difficult it is to break the cycle and escape from that sort of environment.

Despite the bleak tone of the novel, it has moments of witty humour and glimmers of hope for certain characters. It is certainly different from anything I’ve read before and I’m excited to see what Lisa McInerney does next. Long may her well deserved success continue.

Have you read The Glorious Heresies? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

“A picture hides a thousand words…”

Rating: 5/5

I recently had the pleasure of attending a book event celebrating the release of Jessie Burton’s second novel The Muse. This was organised by the local book shop in my area that runs the book club that I attend every month. Having loved The Miniaturist, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Burton’s new book, which has the most stunning cover. The best part of the event was getting to meet Jessie herself and having my copy signed.

Burton did not disappoint during her book talk. She was charming, witty, self-deprecating and an exquisitely articulate speaker. Her years spent as an actress shone through during her readings of excerpts from her novel and enhanced the characters that she brought to life. It was interesting to hear Burton admit that it was a struggle to fit in writing The Muse along with the gruelling book tour that she undertook worldwide to capitalise on the astonishing success of her debut novel. Sometimes it is easy to imagine successful people living a life of luxury when the reality is that they continue to work hard in order to remain a success.

Like its predecessor, The Muse is another period drama and takes place over two timelines – London, 1967 and rural Spain, 1936. London introduces us to Odelle Bastien, a Trinidad immigrant who is offered a job as a typist for the mysterious Marjorie Quick. In 1936, Olive Schloss harbours secret ambitions, and soon becomes drawn to artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa. The pair quickly incorporate themselves into the Schloss family, a move that has life-changing consequences. What connects these two storylines together may lie in the discovery of a lost masterpiece…

The Muse is an intriguing tale that explores themes of identity and aspiration in a world of creativity and art. I raced through the novel in order to unlock the mystery that connected the two storylines. I was somewhat on the right track, but I still didn’t really guess the surprises that unfolded. This book has some great twists that I wouldn’t dream of spoiling.

The central female characters in each timeline mirror each other significantly. Odelle and Olive are both creative and ambitious yet hide their talents away, although there are hints of wishing for success that they both play down. Despite being decades apart storywise, the women are both of a time where female success was still a rarity and something that could still be oppressed. I could certainly relate to the character of Odelle in the way that she was afraid to put her writing out into the world. I can understand her fear of rejection all too well!

In contrast, the character of Marjorie Quick is a vibrant yet enigmatic figure. Creating a commanding presence as soon as she enters a room, Quick takes Odelle under her wing and encourages her to unleash her potential. Quick is a formidable character to be reckoned with and livens up Odelle’s world for the better.

The novel explores issues of race and politics in the different worlds of London and Spain. London is going through a period of change and becoming a more interracial, multicultural and progressive society yet hints of racism are scattered throughout the novel. Meanwhile, simmering tensions are played out to the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War as Olive becomes tangled up in Isaac’s ideologies and revolts. Burton creates a sensual atmosphere brought to life with surreal vivid imagery and colours through Olive’s paintings and the stunning Spanish scenery. The complicated Schloss family are full of mysteries and secrets and the reader can sense the explosion that is certain to be unleashed before the story ends.

“It had a new form of surreality Olive had never executed before. For all its grounded colours on the fields – ochres and grasshopper-greens, the folkloric tenderness of russet furrows and mustard browns – there was something other-worldly about the scene. The sky was a boon of promise. The fields were a cornucopia of cereal crops and apples, olives and oranges. The orchard was so lush you might call it a jungle, and the empty fountain had turned into a living spring, the satyr’s canton now gushing full of water. The finca rose up like a welcoming palace, her father’s house with many mansions, its windows huge and open to her gaze. The brush strokes were loose, and colour dominated technical accuracy.”

This book is so gloriously addictive that I almost felt sad that it had to end. I could easily go back and read it again. As I think about what kind of film this would make, Burton has just announced that The Miniaturist is being adapted for television by the BBC. I cannot wait! The Miniaturist was another beautiful and intriguing tale, which was chosen for our book club and succeeded in having the highest ever attendance that night, a testament to the success that Burton has achieved.

Burton has now come to the end of her two book deal, which she admitted at the book event has been quite a relief. She is now turning her hand to children’s books in conjunction with an illustrator. I look forward to seeing what she produces in this guise and I’m certain that she will be just as successful.

Have you read either of Jessie Burton’s books? Have you been lucky enough to meet her? Let me know!