GULLIVER'S TRAVELS - Jonathan Swift

The travels of Gulliver in four parts.  Most of us know of the Liliput story but not the remaining three.

The voyage to Brobdingnag where he lives among a race of giants.  This race is immense , where we have Gulliver naked  stride one of the females nipples.

Part three is a journey to Laputa, Blanibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan where he ends up on a flying Island.

Part Four, a Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms, which is run by horses and the human like Yahoo's are are a sub-tribe scorned as filthy and uncivilised.

The book satirises religions and governments and asks  "whether men are inherently corrupt or whether they become corrupted".

The satire is savage and as things have not improved in the 300 years since this was written I can imagine Swift would have nothing flattering to say on our political situations world wide at the moment.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS - Charles Dickens

The best known of Dickens's tales, the story of Pip, how an act of kindness changes his life, gives him huge opportunities but then he does some major life failing because he is human.

This is enjoyable and has one of the most decent characters in literature Pip's uncle, Joe Gargery.

This is an easy read, not too many characters with silly names.

THE FOURTH OF JUNE - David Benedictus

From ValanCourt Books:

" David Benedictus was only twenty-three when this shock-filled, highly controversial first novel was published in 1962.  In "The Fourth of June", Benedictus shoows what it was like to have attended Eton College, one of England's prestigious schools.  Among its hallowed buildings, a boy is savagely beaten into paralysis by his House Captain, a bishop spends his evenings spying on a Chaplin's half dressed daughter, and a housemaster is seduced by a desperate mother.  Condemned by some reviewers as a farrago of sex, snobbery, and sadism................"

This is an excellent read, brutal; its satire taken to the nth degree which is the best kind.  I found it after reading a biography on Guy Burgess who stated it was a favourite as he lived out his life in Russia.

"

TROUBLEMAKER - Joseph Hansen

Bar owner Rick Wendell is murdered, a young man is found standing over the body wiping fingerprints off the gun.

Insurance Investigator Dave Brandstetter  become involves and digs deep and uncovers a mystery involving several relationships.

This series evidently is the first to feature an openly gay P.I; all the relationships in this story are homosexual but this has nothing to actually do with the plot, which is weak, compared with several others I've read in the series.  It's all a bit tedious.

The story is a 'whodunnit' but Hansen has done it better.

A LITTLE ORDER - Evelyn Waugh

A selection of Waugh's journalism.  Some if its interesting and some of its just going through the motions.  He freely admitted that he would write for money and some of these efforts are just for the cheque.

There are a couple of highlights and he always has an argument but this might be the last of Waugh's writings to be cobbled together.

I'd file this under a " must read for completests"

VOODOO, Ltd - Ross Thomas

This is another multiple re-read by the master Ross Thomas.

Again this feature Wu & Durant .  They are hired to find two missing hypnotists who are needed to prove the innocence of a movie star charged with killing her ex-fiancee.  This is all run of the mill stuff until things get complicated.

To complete the job they enlist the assistance of the crew first seen in 'Out on the Rim'.  A bunch who are completely without scruples which makes this a rollicking good yarn set in Southern California.

Thomas is the best writer of the crime caper there's ever been.  Books that are brilliantly entertaining.

Find them and read them all.

OUT ON THE RIM - Ross Thomas

Arthur Wu and Quincy Durant are " con men'- who will do most anything for a dollar.

They get involved in they Philippines with Security Experts, retired FBI agents and others in an attempt to get their hands on 5 million dollars.  Plus there are CIA agents and sundry other odious characters which make s this one of Ross Thomas's best 'capers'.

This is the 3rd or 4th time I've read this and will keep on doing so.  The characters, the dialogue, humour and the plot twists show why Thomas was the best there was at this type of book.  

Donald Westlake who was no slouch at the "caper" bowed down to Thomas.  

His books are brilliant and deserve to be better known.