Book Review - Overtaken by Alexei Sayle
I must admit I have never been a fan of this comedian and I was doubtful whether or not the book would be worth reading. I was p;leasantly surprised. Although the story gets off to a slow start - almost like Mr Sayle is still trying to find his narrator's feet - the early twist that occurs, kept me interested enough stay on course.
The protagonist - Kelvin - is a 30-something Liverpudlian property developer who lives a vacuous existence, spending copious amounts of money on dining out, the theatre and other events. His five best friends accompany him on these hedonistic jaunts but it's not until the chums visit the local circus - or CirKuss as it is known - that Kelvin's life is changed forever.
The story then delves into aspects of Kelvin's grief, his mission to bring about revenge and the lengths he will go to in order to deal with the intense pain he is feeling. Perhaps more a satire about loss than revenge, Sayle's Kelvin is a full enough character to make the reader interested enough in his fate to keep reading.
No doubt Alexei Sayle is somewhat of a bent individual - the scenes depicted in the book and some of the language is proof enough - but his insight into the human spirit was nevertheless a rewarding experience. One will never think of "pies" in the same way again.
Lost in Suburbia
As a member of a mother's group I am starting to realise that the only reason I still attend is because I fear that my son will miss out on interaction with other children and that it is a way to fill in a Thursday afternoon with out having to think of ways to amuse a boisterous toddler.
Is this a good enough reason to still remain part of a group? Initially I went along because as a new mum I felt like I didn't have a huge clue about what I was supposed to be doing with a newborn. It was good to bounce ideas off other mothers and see how their children were developing.
Now I feel like I am totally coping with being a mother and I am unphased by the task. I really don't feel that the group offers me anything I don't already know. Besides that, if there was something I needed to know about in terms of medical conditions, childhood development etc, it would not be to the group that I would turn.
Organising an outing with some of the members is like extracting teeth. They are happy to sit in eachother's living rooms or backyards while the kids run riot and we drink cups of tea. I don't feel content with this anymore. I want o visit parks, playgrounds, activities.
Help!
Barbed Words and the Beach
I took my son for a walk in his pram the other day, down by the sea. The path we often walk winds its way along the coastline with lovely views and a chance to feel the wind in your hair. It's the sort of beach path that is conducive to contemplative thought and we spent a happy twenty minutes or so with the occasional spray of the sea on our faces just enjoying the peacefulness of the morning.
Our meditation came to an abrupt halt when angry voices loomed behind us. I turned to see a young couple approaching us, engaged in a heated argument. Although they were some distance behind us, they were speaking so loudly - shouting at times - that almost every word was audible.
From what I could glean, having only entered the piece half way through the argument, the girl was furious that her boyfriend had put his name on a lease with another woman. She started screaming"You've cheated on me before, why should I believe you now?' Why indeed, I thought as they ranted and railed at eachother over the roar of the ocean?
The boyfriend, a weasly, skinny man in his late twenties covered in tattoos was trying to deny this charge but wasn't holding back on the expletives. Despite the fact his girlfriend had convinced herseklf that he was seeing someone else, she seemed more livid than emotionally wounded. It was as if this sort of behaviour was par for the course in their relationship and all she was seeking to do was haul him into line. I got the impression she wasn't going to be devastated by his latest failing but was more determined to give him a good tongue lashing in a public place.
As they got louder and more offensive I slowed down to allow them to pass me on the path so I didn't have to feel as if I was being followed by their anger. As they marched past me, voices raised to fever pitch I remember thinking what a shame it was that such a lovely morning was being spent arguing with a rogue who clearly wasn't worth the effort.
Trapped on the Travelator
The other day at the gym I glanced across at the woman next to me on the treadmill and marvelled at the look of complete detachment on her face. I had been struggling with the boredom of the treadmill for ten minutes or so and it was amazing to me to see that some people are capable of just mentally switching off.
For me the tread mill experience is akin to those travel walkways you sometimes encounter at very large airports or car parks. They seem to yawn on in front of you like an endless conveyor belt of human traffic. Jet lagged as you often are on these contraptions, and weighed down with a couple of over sized bags, it is usually impossible to break into a run and therefore end the journey more quickly.
As I looked at the expression on my fellow gym patron I imagined that she would find the airport walkway no problem at all and that she would simply drift off into mental oblivion until she could step onto terra firma. For my part I was cursing the fact that the tv screens are positioned behind you at the gym and the music is never anything that inspires you to make the mircale mile. All I ever want to do is get off. The mental inertia of thumping away on a moving surface really holds no joy for me at all. It becomes a psychological endurance test. I wonder if others feel this way?
