The Sacred Book of the Werewolf ~ Victor Pelevin

Never judge a book by its cover – or its title!  When I saw this on the Guardian’s 1000 Books on Twitter I just had to get it from the library.  Whilst it was entertaining, a lot of it also went over my head.  Perhaps if I read more philosophy and Russian literature/history I would have appreciated it a bit more.

On the surface it’s a love story between a were-fox and a were-wolf, it’s very unusual and in places quite funny, but it’s not a horror novel which I was expecting and it’s not a light read.  Actually in places I felt like I was reading The End of Mr Y (although I found that novel to be much more pretentious than this one).

It is a departure from the other Russian novelists I have tried; but as far as being on a must read list – well, you’d have to judge for yourself.  

Martin Chuzzlewit ~ Charles Dickens

It is always a satisfying feeling finishing a Charles Dickens novel and Martin Chuzzlewit was no exception. 

Initially I found it difficult to get started on it as names such as ‘Pecksniff’ really put me off.  I also found the United States saga boring and unnecessary for the plot, although it was illuminating and it’s no wonder the Americans were ‘up in arms’ about it when it was first published.  I believe Dickens spoke the truth but they just could not see it.  Thank goodness things have progressed since then.

The plot is centralised around a common theme, that being of selfishness.  Most of the characters are tainted with this trait, with some coming good and others coming to a nasty end!

Pecknsiff, who I had the most trouble with at first, was a wonderfully horrible character.  He believes himself to be good and true to the extent that this belief rubs off on others who know him well.  Those who briefly meet the hypocrite can see him for what he is, and through the course of the novel his beloved daughters see this too.  What a disappointment he becomes for them.

Jonas Chuzzlewit was the character I loved to hate.  He was horrible from start to finish, and I would have liked this character to have suffered more at the end.  The diabolical act that he commits was well enacted by Dickens, and quite chilling.  The fear of discovery that he goes through brought to mind Dostoyevsky’s characterisation of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read but, as with most Dickens novels, there were some ridiculous characters and the ever present 'benevolent gentleman'. But, I am surprised that this is one of his least popular novels as there are a few unforgettable characters contained within the many pages. I guess I found the ending a little trite and too good to be true, but perhaps in Victorian England a happy ending was good for the soul.