Archive for July, 2007

My First Grand Tour

Saturday, July 7th, 2007

The Skiff

We finally had some sun today. So we loaded up our iPods with the audio guide for the Covent Garden Grand Tour and ventured out to our first art appreciation grand tour.

It was an enjoyable and unusual experience as some of the famous paintings were hanging right next to busy shops in Covent Garden. It was almost as interesting to watch people’s reaction when they discovered the art as appreciating the pieces themselves. I think it’s a brilliant idea to bring classical art to the general public. It’s more fun to walk around town on a sunny day than being indoors even than in a nicely curated museum.

Credit should given to the campaign organisor who came up with different routes for people to follow; those who work in town can also take 30 to 45 minute lunch-break tours. What a genius idea!

A Spot of Bother

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

A Spot of Bother

Mark Haddon’s last novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was a great read for both adults and children; it’s original, funny and well-composed. His second book A Spot of Bother may not be as brilliant, but it’s definitely worth reading.

A Spot of bother is hardly an upbeat, pleasant story but it’s very well-written. It’s not light-hearted to read about a depressed old man cutting bits off his body with a pair of scissors, after witnessing his wife in bed with his ex-colleague. However, I admire Mark for his talent in describing situations and emotions, and his extreme attention to detail. There were times when the scenes became a bit too graphic and embarrassing to read but at the same time, it also shows off Mark’s powerful observation and realistic description.

Reading A Spot of Bothet is almost like watching The Office - it’s painfully embarrassing, yet you can’t resist it. In the end, you just can’t help butt love it and feel sorry for the characters.