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15 kirjaa tekijältä Michael Nye
Sharing a small wooden bungalow on an island could have been a dream come true had either Masie or Linda dreamt it. For over a year this had been their reality though, but they both realised that their time on the island was finite. The unlikely bond between Linda, from a northern mill town, and Masie, from a background of old southern money had a cause that both would have preferred not to have existed. The result was that they were completing their school education well away from their parents, both sharing the determination never to return to a situation they had left as a pair of rather timid schoolgirls almost two years previously. Now, at the dawn of adulthood, their first sixteen years on the planet were firmly in the past and a new adventure was about to begin.
The idea of being a fugitive when your means of transport can only move at walking pace is somewhat ludicrous, as is living on a boat that is, in size, little more than a large packing case. That and the self proclaimed stowaway was about to make the rest of the year very different as, armed with nothing more dangerous than a windlass and a box of Soviet made watches, the crew of the Mayfly set about doing their bit in preserving the inland waterway network before it was too late. In their travels they meet a number of unlikely allies, discover skills they didn't think they had, and, as the job of fugitive requires, are chased by some decidedly undesirable people.
When a mixture of rotting wood, cutbacks, secrets and a decent measure of harassment begin to encroach into the lives of Jim and Amanda's extended "family" of friends and actual relatives, they do their best to fight back with another blend. Social media, guerilla Shakespeare, more secrets, quick thinking, an unlikely politician and a good bit of rank stupidity play their part in the mission to protect the achievements that began with a pair of teenage fugitives that are now rapidly approaching retirement age. Neither Jim and Amanda nor Mayfly are done with yet but, even with the help of the next two generations, it's far from certain as to whether their efforts will succeed.
Carrying cargo and living on a boat that wasn't much bigger than a large packing case was, of course, sheer folly. That was Amanda's considered opinion two days before she set off with Jim, whom she'd met only days previously, to do just that. Now, on a dull day in the low season, the need to pass exams and earn a living were paramount and the last year seemed like something out of a novel. Her life though, along with Jim's, had changed almost beyond recognition as a result of the adventure so that what was perfectly acceptable then, now seemed rather tame. Then, after her ill-considered offhand remark at school, and a rather worrying discovery by Jim at work, any plans either of them had for the future are thrown into disarray.
"Ludere per regulas" was the school motto and, having looked it up in her Latin dictionary, Em had decided that the time for playing by the rules was long gone. She and her elder sister had been left in the family home to fend for themselves due to circumstances neither understood. Though comfortable, both knew the situation could not go on any longer. In the absence of a plan, the memory of happier times caused a rather risky one to be loosely formulated. Feeling that there was no other option, the pair set themselves on an open ended adventure that started near the end of the summer term, and still continues.
Singing, in the hall, that God was working his purpose out made me wonder for a moment just what the hell that purpose was as regarded me. We'd all been taught not to think too much about ourselves though so, being an obedient little soul, I dismissed the thought almost immediately. If my being here and doing what I've done is part of some grand scheme by an omnipotent creator, I think they may be a tiny bit deranged. Mumbo jumbo aside, I've been here quite some time since then and mostly enjoyed the life that I've led. So, as far as those distant school assemblies go, along with the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate (which still seems a tad unfair) you can add Vera in a boat and make what you will of her.
When Owen Webb, the son of working-class parents, receives a scholarship to the prestigious Rockcastle Preparatory Academy, the mysterious and enigmatic Carson Bly, an upperclassman from a wealthy and powerful family, befriends him. Their friendship, deepened through a love of basketball, becomes an obsession for Owen, who is desperate to avoid the growing trouble at home between his parents. When Owen's father is arrested for a shocking and unexpected crime, his family is torn apart, and Owen's anger and fear are carefully manipulated by Carson's mercurial and increasingly dangerous personality. Owen, who has fallen in love with Carson's beautiful but troubled sister, quickly finds himself caught up in a complex web of lies that threatens his once-promising future.
When Owen Webb, the son of working-class parents, receives a scholarship to the prestigious Rockcastle Preparatory Academy, the mysterious and enigmatic Carson Bly, an upperclassman from a wealthy and powerful family, befriends him. Their friendship, deepened through a love of basketball, becomes an obsession for Owen, who is desperate to avoid the growing trouble at home between his parents. When Owen's father is arrested for a shocking and unexpected crime, his family is torn apart, and Owen's anger and fear are carefully manipulated by Carson's mercurial and increasingly dangerous personality. Owen, who has fallen in love with Carson's beautiful but troubled sister, quickly finds himself caught up in a complex web of lies that threatens his once-promising future.
In a style reminiscent of John Cheever and Alice Munro, Michael Nye's second collection of stories, Until We Have Faces, contend with transfixing themes: marital and familial estrangement, ways of trespass, the intractable mysteries and frights of modern life, the uncertainty of knowledge and truth, the gulfs between people and the technology we use, the frailty of our economic lives—while underlining throughout the persistency of love. His consummate skill, penetrating wit, and unfailing emotional generosity are on full display in this fine new collection.
In a style reminiscent of John Cheever and Alice Munro, Michael Nye's second collection of stories, Until We Have Faces, contend with transfixing themes: marital and familial estrangement, ways of trespass, the intractable mysteries and frights of modern life, the uncertainty of knowledge and truth, the gulfs between people and the technology we use, the frailty of our economic lives—while underlining throughout the persistency of love. His consummate skill, penetrating wit, and unfailing emotional generosity are on full display in this fine new collection.
The offspring of a rock star may well know the feeling of living in the shadows. My parents are a good deal less famous though, and I really don't mind being associated with the pair of good hearted eccentrics that they are. I like being me as well, and I used to wonder where I fitted in all of this stuff. Scatterbrained, unfocussed, a daydreamer for sure is me. Comments like that coming from those teaching me usually questioned how I could expect to make anything of my life without changing my ways. I haven't done as yet and probably never will. After all, it doesn't bother anyone that matters to me. Here then is some of what I have made of life so you can make your own mind up.
