I’ve had a look at my stats to discover my top 10 blog posts/pages this year. Here is the list, click any title or image below to be taken to the blog post/page in a new tab or window:
Note: If you are viewing this blog post on a mobile device. You will need to scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘View Desktop Version’ in order for the image map above to work correctly.
Blog soon,
Antony
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Neil Gaiman shows off his legendary imagination in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. A work colleague lent me The Ocean at the End of the Lane and I’m so glad that he did.
The story starts with an old man, sitting on a bench looking at a pond at the farm at the end of the lane. He remembers his childhood. He remembers when he was just seven years old. Seven years old when he saw the body of the dead opal miner in the back of his father’s car. Seven years old when he met the Hempstocks’. Lettie Hempstocks, the girl that looks eleven years old, who speaks the first and most ancient language of the world. Lettie knows so much about everything and who he suspects is really, much older than she looks. Ginnie Hempstocks is the mother who cooks the most amazing food the boy has ever tasted and at one point in the story takes him into her bosom. |
And finally Old Mrs. Hempstocks the woman so old that she remembers the moon being made, always has a full moon shinning on the back of the farmhouse at night and is full of wisdom, knowing how to solve the problems that the other two Hempstocks’ don’t know how to solve. (Madian. Mother. Crone. She what Gaiman did there?)
After the death of the opal miner, a malevolent spirit enters the seven year old boy’s life. This spirit appears as Ursula Monkton, a lodger who will pay her way by looking after the boy and his older sister. But Ursula means no good for the boy, quickly manipulating the boy’s parents and threatening to keep him in the attic. That is until she is done with him, at which point, Ursula will tell the boy’s father to kill him. The boy believes his father will listen to Ursula and do as she says, rather than listen him because he is only a child.
So the boy goes to the Hempstocks’ for help. What follows is a magical, frightening, exciting, heart racing and wonderful story told from the perspective of the seven year old boy remembering in his old age.
The description is vivid and allows the reader to imagine every scene perfectly. There are some scenes in this book that should go down in descriptive history for being so simple with very few words, but yet so effective and powerful. The plot is fantastic and full of twists and turns. It is completely captivating and makes The Ocean at the End of the Lane almost impossible to put down. Gaiman put a lot of what he remembers about his own childhood into the story. The ending is inventive, almost spiritual/god-like at one point and wholly satisfying to the reader.
Overall The Ocean at the End of the Lane is magnificent, even if it is a little difficult to describe just how magnificent it is.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is available to buy on Amazon and at all good bookshops.
Review soon,
Antony
My friend Simon and I went to see The Cure at Manchester Arena yesterday. I have just one word to describe the event and that is: phenomenal. It’s without any doubt the best gig I’ve been to in years.
The music was spot-on and was performed perfectly from the first note to the very last. The vocals were incredible, it was like listening to an enhanced version of an album. The three rows of lights gave an impressive accompanying light show.
Here are some photos, click on any photo for full size image:
 The Cure (1) – opening song. |
 The Cure (2). |
 The Cure (3). |
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 The Cure (4) – The music was spot-on and was performed perfectly from the first note to the very last. |
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 The Cure (5) – Vocals were awesome, it was like listening to an enhanced version of an album. |
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 The Cure (6). |
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 The Cure (7) – The setlist included my favourite song ‘Lovesong.’ |
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 The Cure (8) – The setlist also included ‘Friday I’m in Love’ and ‘Boys Don’t Cry.’ |
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 The Cure (9) – The finale was ‘Why Can’t I Be You?’ |
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Prior to going to the gig, Simon and I had a lovely tea in Via Fossa on Canal Street, Manchester (gay village). Then we walked down to the arena.
Along the crowded walkways on the frosty winter evening, I counted at least 12 homeless people. This is the most homeless people I’ve ever seen on any of my many visits to Manchester. It’s crazy to think that in 2016 people are still becoming and/or living homelessly.
Driving home after the gig, the temperature dropped to -2°C and I thought of the homeless people I had seen earlier. In my thoughts I wished them a safe evening, prayed that the temperature didn’t drop any further and prayed that it was quick to rise again.
Write soon,
Antony
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Neverwhere is an adventure quest story by Neil Gaiman.
Richard Mayhew is a young business man in London. He has a small apartment, a job were he gets little recognition of his hard work and a high maintenance girlfriend named Jessica. One night whilst he and Jessica are on the way to meet her boss, he sees a young homeless woman whose been stabbed lying in the street. Jessica tells Richard to leave her. But Richard can’t. The homeless woman insists on not going to a hospital or involving the authorities, so Richard, being a good samaritan, takes her home. After Richard nurses the homeless woman, named Door, back to a reasonable state of health, she leaves. Then Richard bizarrely seems to slip through the cracks in London Above (his London) and falls into London Underside, also known as Neverwhere. |
Neverwhere is filled with all sorts of creative ideas: a Royal Court in an underground train carriage, Rat Speakers, The Floating Market, velvet women whose kiss can take a person’s life, monks, an Angel, a Beast and even a labyrinth.
In this strange world, Richard decides to seek out the Marquis de Carabas. Richard having previously met the Marquis on Door’s behalf when she was at his house recovering from the stab wound. Richard is convinced that Door somehow caused him to lose his London Above life and he wants it back.
Richard finds the Marquis de Carabas with Door at the Floating Market. Door and the Marquis are auditioning for a body guard. Door is on a mission to find out who murdered her family and why. Richard asks Door for his life back and she explains that she doesn’t think it’s possible.
The Marquis and Door recruit Hunter to be Door’s bodyguard. Richard with nowhere else to go, goes along with Door, the Marquis and Hunter. The four of them set off on Door’s quest, but each has their own intentions and wants and some are not compatible with the quest.
The characters are likeable, complex and clever. The reader will enjoy getting to know them and find himself/herself caring a great deal for each of the characters. The plot is pleasant, paced perfectly and continually shifts and twists, keeping the reader hooked in.
The setting and action descriptions were tremendous, allowing the reader to picture the scenes and what was happening. However the character descriptions were repetitive, Gaiman using the exact same words to describe characters again and again. Looked like a copy/paste job. After a while these did become grating, so maybe skip reading character descriptions once each of the main characters has been introduced.
Overall Neverwhere is easy to read, a pleasurable read, fun and moderately entertaining. Well worth a read once, but it’s not the sort of book you’ll read again and again.
Neverwhere is available to buy no Amazon and at all good bookshops.
Review soon,
Antony
Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of eight books.
Antony Simpson is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.
Unless Otherwise Stated, Copyright © Antony Simpson, 2008-2025.
