Book Reviews page 30 | Index

Catch A Fire: The Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White

BIOG/MARL

Being a serious Bob Marley & the Wailers fan I initially read this book way back in 1983 when it was first released.  I’m pretty sure I had it given to me as a Christmas present from my parents along with a copy of the Black Music Encyclopedia, both of which I no longer possess. It’s an amusing and strange fact that one’s memory tends to remember the good things of the past more than the bad. I should have realised this when I repurchased a copy of Timothy White’s Catch A Fire: The Life of Bob Marley early last year.

It’s a very well researched biography and has actually grown in size since I first read it. Some 200-odd pages bigger in fact, complete with expanded discography, copies of declassified CIA files on the king of reggae, and transcripts from the court case involving disputes over the rights to his songs and disbursement of royalties. There’s also an interesting section documenting the difficulties encountered whilst researching the book. Mr White must be a Bob Marley nut too, with a passion for his subject.

Unfortunately the second reading brought back memories of why I’d let the book go the first time around. Even though for the most part it reads like a novel rather than a standard biography, I found it sometimes tended to get bogged down in details that caused the mind to wander. This was kind of upsetting, as being a fan you’d think I would have devoured such bread & butter. I guess it just brought out the realisation that although I love and admire Bob Marley’s music I have less interest in his everyday life or of his shortcomings as a man.  There’s some interesting stuff here, such as Bob’s baptism in November 1980 making him a “Christian Rasta”, or the background surrounding the ring he wears in that famous photo on the cover of the “biggest selling reggae album of all time”, Legend. I suppose these snippets aren’t as glamorous or rebellious as stories involving his marijuana habit, his attempted assassination, or his untimely demise from cancer (melanoma, to be precise).  Whatever the case, the book highlighted for me that Bob Marley was just a man; an extraordinary, talented, driven and hard working man, but with all the frailties and contradictions that ordinary people carry with them throughout their lives.

Still, it was good to read this book again. Once I’d gotten past the second laboured chapter about Haile Selassie’s birth etc (which I seem to recall skipping the first time around too) I was carried along in the tale of Bob’s rise to fame, his success and his tragedy, all permeated by memories of my youth. I don’t know if you’ll get the same kick I did from rereading Bob’s story (albeit nostalgia induced) but it’s interesting nevertheless. The fan will probably appreciate this one more than the casual observer.

Andrew Roe .

The Sky Unwashed by Irene Zabytko

FICTION/ZABYTK

On the 26th of April 1986 the lives of tens of thousands of ordinary people living in the Ukraine changed forever.... 

Irene Zabytko in her first novel has written a memorable and disturbing tale centred around the aftermath of one of the most infamous man-made disasters of the 20th Century. This is the story of Marusia, an elderly widowed grandmother who lives with her son and his family in the small village of Starylis.  Their mundane and austere lives are suddenly and rudely transformed by the larger events of the developing nuclear catastrophe that we have come to know as Chernobyl.

As the story progresses Zabytko permits us a glimpse of the incompetent and decaying Soviet system, and its lack of respect or compassion for the individual at the level of citizen. We see that Marusia has endured many hardships and sorrows in her life but somehow manages to keep her faith, pick herself up and continue on.  I found this a comforting theme in the novel as I tried to imagine the emotional impact of so many families and communities torn apart - in some cases never to be reunited.

Having first read this book over 18 months ago, the sad and beautiful image of Marusia’s last day on earth still continues to remain clear in my mind’s eye.

The Sky Unwashed is a novel that’s definitely worth a read. 

Beneath the Cassock: the Real-Life Vicar of Dibley by Joy Carroll

BIOG/CARR

Fans of the popular BBC programme, The Vicar of Dibley, will be fascinated to meet the woman on whom the character of Geraldine was based. Joy Carroll was in the first group of women to be ordained as priests in the Church of England, and her journey from vicar’s daughter to vicar makes interesting reading. As one of the youngest women taking this step, Joy brought a youthful energy and freshness to her position. This is undoubtedly what attracted the producer of the TV series in the first place. He and Dawn French relied on her for advice about church matters and they became firm friends. Joy thoroughly approved of the Vicar of Dibley and recognised herself in many of Geraldine’s mannerisms and sayings. I found her honesty about her spiritual development and her strong desire for ordination quite moving. She is now resident in the USA and there are a couple of insightful chapters dealing with her feelings about American culture and the church there, as well as her personal experience of September 11. Links with television always add a certain glamour to a person’s life story, but even without that, I would have found Joy Carroll’s story absorbing.

Heal Your Headache: the 1-2-3 program for taking charge of your pain by David Buccholz

616.8491 HEA 2 copies in the library

I was attracted to this book because I feel guilty every time I reach for the painkillers. No matter which one you take, it’s supposed to be doing you some mischief somewhere in your body. I got quite excited at the thought of identifying what triggers my headaches and eliminating those things from my life – until I got to the bit where Dr Buccholz told me I had to give up caffeine and never, ever let it back into my life. I consider this an unreasonable demand, as I have at least five coffee cards from various establishments in my purse, and each of them is due to give me a freebie sooner or later. What really interested me, though, was the premise that a trigger won’t bring on a headache unless it is added to other triggers and the sum total of these rises above your personal threshold. Not all triggers are dietary. Other possibilities are the weather, physical exertion, sleep deprivation or, conversely, oversleeping. For genuine sufferers, it’s probably worth the effort of identifying your personal triggers and finding your threshold. The three steps in the program are: avoiding the “quick-fix” (the painkillers); reducing your triggers; and raising your threshold. The layout of the book makes it easy to dip into and there are several interesting case studies. Dr Buccholz just might have the answer to your headaches

The Sucker’s Kiss by Alan Parker

FICTION/PARKER

The story of one man's life: from a boy experiencing the San Francisco earthquake at the age of seven; to manhood and the impact various people had upon his life, from clergy in the Catholic Church, Chinese warlords and the American Mafia and, most of all, Sophie - the love of his life.  The book is often amusing, always interesting and often leaves a hook at the end of a chapter, making you wonder what is going to happen next.  He’s not a very nice character but, while I am glad that no-one quite like him ever crossed my path, I had a sneaking admiration for him just the same. A most enjoyable read.