One Man's Opinion: THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by ED McBAIN

 

Well, here's a rare thing. In fact, it's a first for me. An Ed McBain novel that I haven't enjoyed. I say I haven't enjoyed it, but I didn't really give it a chance. Twenty pages in and I'm throwing it onto the place where the Did Not Finish pile would be if there were any other books there. 

I can't explain what it is that stopped me from carrying on. The introduction has Matthew Hope defending a man suspected of murdering his gay brother in the aftermath of a party. 

Attitudes are somewhat outdated, and I can often live with that, but I'm not sure I like Matthew Hope and didn't feel I could be bothered to get to know him. 

Not for me then, unless you pile in and convince me that it's worth making the effort.

One Man's Opinion: LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL by RONAN HESSION

 

It's a long while since I did Tai Chi and read the Dao Of Pooh. I was reminded of this when I opened Leonard And Hungry Paul in that it was clear I was in for a change of pace, being used to reading and writing pulse-raising stories in the main. 

Leonard And Hungry Paul is a charming book that continues to gently glow from the first page to the last. 

The pair might well be described as misfits, but the friendship is stronger than most, meaning Leonard has been all but adopted into Hungry Paul's family. They are creatures of habit, enjoying board games and moments of togetherness within a life of routine and security. 

But things change (oddly Things Change is a film that sticks in my memory and is also brought to mind by this novel). Hungry Paul's sister is getting married, Leonard's mum has recently died and he has finally met someone who might consider starting a relationship with him. The ripples of the alterations to life are gentle, yet contain power. The nature of what is to come is uncertain, yet Hungry Paul is unperturbed. He's a Winnie the Pooh type character, centred and wise, carrying within the ability to impact upon the world and those around him with minimal effort, desire or even intention.

The stories within flow like a bubbling stream. Though it has the required tension to create a narrative drive, the pleasure of the read lies elsewhere: in the thoughtful observations, the light touches, warming humour, solid relationships and laugh-out-loud moments. 

Spending time with Leonard, Hungry Paul and the cast of surrounding characters is a real treat. It's a book to be savoured, to share and to keep on the shelves never to be sent on to the charity shop.

I believe it will soon be released as a TV series and I, for one, can't wait to see it. 

     

One Man's Opinion: IN DUBIOUS BATTLE by JOHN STEINBECK

 

In Dubious Battle. What a treat. It's a tale of politics and social commentary, but to my mind it's also a noir cracker. 

In the opening chapter, protagonist Jim Nolan walks away from his life to dedicate himself to the communist party. Right from the off, we know that it's a move that will involve personal sacrifice and hardship, but that barely covers what lies ahead of him. It's also the point when I knew I'd been here before. Perhaps I've read it already. Probably have, which is one of the benefits of having a terrible and fading memory (the second time round can be as refreshing as the first). 

Jim heads off with his mentor, Mac, to the orchards of California. They've got wind that the owners are cutting the price for apples picked and so there's an opportunity to organise protest, after all, if the price for picking apples is accepted, it will be the cotton plantations next.

They arrive in town and head straight for a diner whose owner is sympathetic to their cause. Meals are on the house and soon they'll also be able to use the land of the owner's father to camp out when striking workers will be made homeless once they withdraw their labour.  

It's not easy being Reds. Even though the cause is clearly just and the capitalist bosses are unscrupulous, many of the workers are anti-communist and the pair need to stay in the shadows where possible. They choose the most likely leaders among the migrants and set about organising a democratic structure. 

What comes next is a richly drawn-out story about human nature, conflict, politics and purpose. There's tension and action aplenty. There are the local authorities to battle, the press to suffer, they need to find enough food for the masses, the camp needs a doctor and has to be sanitary, the vigilantes are vicious thugs and the mood of the (mostly) men is as fickle as the wind. 

Steinbeck is clearly a sympathiser to the cause. He's shining a light on something he believes needs attention. All the same, he's astute enough to explore the complexities. Not all of the townsfolk are heartless. Not all of the strikers are beyond reproach. The nature of the mass mentality is unpredictable. Their actions can be frightening and their choices poor. The motives of the party will ignore the needs of the few in order to influence the many and the blinkers required by party members have to be thick. Life is brutal and it's the toughest that will survive; if they don't succeed this time, maybe they'll live on to fight in the next battle.

The novel carries real weight. It feels important and got me thinking, which is always a good thing. 

I finished it yesterday, just after a visit to the excellent Resistance exhibition at the Modern Two Gallery in Edinburgh where the photographs on show capture moments of social and political movements of the past, whether organised by large groups or growing from tiny seeds. At a time when the ugly face of the right is unmasking itself and, for some crazy reason, dominating much of our politics, the images and In Dubious Battle feel important. There should be no place for racist, divisive selfishness in our minds and actions and where it appears, someone needs to stand up and fight back. At some place along the line, that someone will have to be you. You don't need to go as far as Mac and Jim, but you do need to find a way to get your skin in the game.

MOVEMENT OF 24th SEPTEMBER

 

Music by the amazing Barge Calm Delta. Reminds me a little of The Residents. How good is that? Check it out if you don't need your hand held or you don't need all your roads to be straight. 

One Man's Opinion: SAINT OF THE NARROWS STREET by WILLIAM BOYLE

 

I had high expectations of Saint Of The Narrows Street. It has a great author and some fab ingredients. In the end, however, I left it feeling slightly disappointed. 

The opening drips with atmosphere and character, carrying the heavy stamp of Brooklyn. A View From A Bridge came to mind, the claustrophobic apartment that is a family home wonderfully drawn. Inside it, a young mother and her sister mind a child, awaiting the return of the youngster's aggressive and unpredictable father. Said father has a gun and a lover. The kitchen is full of knives. It's never going to end well. 

From the incident framing the opening, the story unfolds with guilt and darkness seeping in and rotting away at the insides of all involved. There's a body to dispose of, there are those keen to find out what happened and there's a child who is disconnected from his foundations. 

Stripping it back to its basics, there's a solid story in there. What held it back for me were the references and stories of the neighbourhood, all surrounding people with interesting names, possibly there to add flavour, but for me detracting from the main drivers. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I gradually lost emotional engagement with those involved, which meant the outcomes had less power than I feel they could/should have been. 

I suspect I'm in the minority on this one as it's been very well received. If you're into lots of life-on-the-streets gangster nostalgia, you'll probably dig it and the opening is worth the entry fee so it might well be worth taking a chance. 

Crime, it is. Crime And Punishment, maybe not.    

 

One Man's Opinion: CAUGHT STEALING

 

I go to the cinema a lot. This year, I've averaged a trip per week. On top of that, I've been to two film festivals, where new blood work with the medium of film producing work that has a very different dynamic than the mainstream. 

Posting here about films isn't something I do. Perhaps that's something I should change. I came close with some of my faves of 2025 (The Companion, The Ballad Of Ellis Island, Sinners) and some of the worst views (The Alto Nights and Marching Powder). Regardless of the direction I take, I came out of Caught Stealing with such a spring in my step that I wanted to give it some space.

It's based on the novel of the same name by Charlie Huston, who was heavily involved in the adaptation. Though I don't want to say too much about the plot, it tells the story of a bartender with a drink problem, Henry 'Hank' Thompson. He's screwed up his life once already, having thrown away a baseball career as a youngster, killing a friend and messing up his knee in a car crash. His life's edgy, but he's hanging in there, helped by his girlfriend and his mates at work. 

When his neighbour, a mohawked English punk rocker, leaves the country to visit his dying father, Hank is kind enough to look after his cat. 

A couple of dodgy geezers show up in search of something important at the punk's flat. Hank can't help them as he has no idea what might be inside and, because he knows nothing, takes a brilliantly violent beating. 

Enter the cops. The lead detective gets involved, letting Hank know that there may be another criminal gang searching for whatever it is that's missing, that both crews are deadly serious and, well, just deadly. 

From here it spirals from one nightmare to another. The action comes thick and fast, the outcomes often being unexpected. There are toe-curling moments and stomach-churning scenes. It's an adrenaline-fueled ride that has a retro feel to it, a noir edge that I'd welcome much more of on our screens. 

I don't remember enjoying the bad guys as much in a film for a very long time. They're dark, vicious and superbly played, with a fantastic capacity for causing pain in original ways. 

Add to this an excellent soundtrack (courtesy of Idles) and you have something very special indeed.

Austin Butler is perfect for the central role. I loved him in The Bikeriders and he's only gone up in my estimation here.

There are some syrupy aspects to the story and you might have to let a couple of issues slide, but you really should get along and give this a try. A+ action, brilliant violence, ace characters, anarchic plot, surprising twists and coherently crazy. What's not to like? 

One Man's Opinion: ONE DAY by DAVID NICHOLLS

 

Following on from recent David Nicholls holiday reads, I finally got around to One Day 

I've seen the movie and watched the excellent TV series on Netflix, so there were no real surprises. Except the heart and soul of the book ran deeper than I was expecting and the pacing, drama and tension that runs alongside the moving moments meant I still raced through the pages in spite of knowing what was about to come. 

Such a simple idea, so very well executed. 

I'm not sure there's much else to say, other than that I adored it.