We Can’t All Be Astronauts, Tim Clare

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In Clare’s debut book, we follow him on his journey to publication. His friends are all excelling, getting book deals, sometimes hugely lucrative ones, and he’s the only one that doesn’t seem to be succeeding in the craft he has convinced himself is his destiny. As he repeatedly reminds himself and us, he has leaned so heavily into this dream that he really isn’t qualified for anything else. Living with his parents after a relationship breakdown, he descends into a pit of depression, horribly jealous of his friends’ successes and tired of hearing about their latest wins. With a book launch party on the near horizon he gives himself an ultimatum - get a book deal or quit trying. The very fact you’re reading a published book penned by him gives you a clue as to how it will end, but the journey is an interesting one.

In his attempts to break into the seemingly exclusive world of publishing he finds himself heading up a show for Channel 4 in which he has to carry out such ridiculous activities as handing out blank pieces of paper pretending they are promotional material for his book, even to those who might be interested in the book, and practically stalking those with power in the industry. It is cringeworthy stuff but also reveals the vulnerability of those who take part in such endeavours. Desperate to make a name for himself he feels compelled to go along with the schemes, big names feigning interest for the cameras, only to be left out in the cold once the crew have gone home. Later, we see him awkwardly shuffling around the London Book Fair, pretending to be a publisher in the hope of getting at its beating heart. All he really discovers is that the practicalities of the deals are quite boring, and that there are many more deluded authors out there just as desperate for success as him. It sobers him, realising all the passion and enthusiasm in the world doesn’t necessarily mean you will have success.

Indeed, in the many conversations he has with writers, publishers, and TV producers influencing the world to read different books, he doesn’t get the golden nugget he’s seeking to make everything clear to him. Writers talk about how difficult it is, how you can have had many books published but still need a day job, those working in the book industry often seem to have had some aspirations to write themselves, but for many it becomes a burden and they choose to stop pursuing it. Those he imagined to be hard-nosed business people end up being lovely. There is a remarkable amount of generosity with people’s willingness to talk to him and share their experiences. On a more personal level, although retaining his jealousies of his friends for the most part, when he visits them at Edinburgh Fringe he does have a moment of realisation that they’re all working really hard for not much reward, that they’re all on the same journey and there’s nothing wrong with being a few steps behind.

It feels almost unbelievable at times that all his friends are becoming published, that all these bigwigs will give him time to discuss publishing and the author’s journey, that he gets away with some of his more outrageous schemes. He doesn’t shy away from his less admirable moments. He is honest about the shallowness of jealousy, of the feelings of failure, but also acknowledges that he is lucky to have good family and friends, a home, and the luxury to explore his dreams. For any aspiring writers this is a realistic exploration of the struggles of authorship, of the myth of the Big Author, and that sometimes you need honest feedback, not just simpering encouragement. 

The main section of the book ends with the launch party, with him having gained some perspective and a greater appreciation for the people around him. It feels like a satisfying ending, and then we are given an epilogue to explain how the book came into being. Curiosity is only vaguely satisfied with this as the matter is dealt with fairly swiftly, the bulk of this final section being a moving account of his final visit to his Pa and a reflection on how brilliant his parents are. 

An interesting read by an author who is willing to put his worst face forward in the name of authorial integrity. This honesty makes him relatable; we’ve all had unadmirable thoughts and felt jealous of those who seem to be living the life we want. Many will also relate to the feeling that they’ve found exactly what they want to do with their life, the trouble is getting someone to agree to pay you to spend your days doing it. This is not an aspirational, rags to riches story, but one in which Clare grafts, puts himself in excruciating situations, and is swayed by success away from writing people enjoy to overly pretentious prose which nobody wants to read. It is, in some ways, a coming of age tale for those in the difficult post-graduation years trying to find a path through life. 

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

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Kundera’s famous novel opens with a discussion of philosophy - Nietzsche’s thought experiment of the Eternal Return in which he questions how you’d react if every moment of your life, every decision you made, would be repeated ad infinitum. He goes on to explore the idea of lightness and weight. Does the fact that we know our lives don’t repeat, that we will never be able to make the same decision again, or know what would have happened if we had done the opposite, mean that our lives are meaningless? This might seem a heavy subject for a book, and certainly the setting of it, the Prague Spring of 1968 in which the Soviet Union invaded then Czechoslovakia, adds additional heaviness, but it is not as dense as this might suggest. We meet a host of characters trying to navigate life in difficult circumstances, yet continuing along in situations relatable across the years - relationships, infidelity, sense of self, and identity.

Tomas is a serial womaniser and when he unexpectedly falls in love with Tereza finds himself unable to give up sex with others. He believes that love and lust are two separate things and so it is perfectly possible to love Tereza completely while continuing in his sexual liaisons with others. However, Tereza struggles with his infidelities, and he does feel some guilt, reaching a point where he has to drink in order to sleep with others, but the smell of alcohol gives away his actions. His longest-running extra-marital relationship is with Sabina, an artist who also has other partners. She is happily uncommitted, and when another lover leaves his wife for her she leaves without a trace. 

Tereza has a difficult upbringing with a mother who did not conform to social norms, and whose ideas about privacy and the body were damaging to her daughter. She refused to let Tereza lock the bathroom door, and was more concerned about her desire for privacy than the fact her own partner would frequently go into the bathroom while Tereza was naked. Tereza came to feel that all bodies were equal and in Tomas she wanted to feel special, unique. His infidelities led her to despair that he saw no distinction between her and other women’s bodies. We see frequently in her disturbing dreams how she sees herself through Tomas’s eyes, that she understands the power he has over her and her desire to please him, but also that she does not believe he wants the best for her. Her dreams appear throughout without warning or indication that we are reading a dream, which can be disorienting due to the darkness of the contents of them. Her trajectory feels sad, from a painful childhood and family life, to hope that Tomas will be a gateway into a different better life, to resignation. She is a talented photographer and takes courageous photographs of the reality of occupation, but she feels cowed by Tomas, realising when they leave Prague that he does not provide everything she needs, that their relationship only works when she has the other familiar routines of daily life.

There is also a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia as anyone with any kind of public position is at risk of being condemned for their opinions or actions. Tomas tries to avoid committing to either side to avoid any kind of consequences but he is unsuccessful, his licence to practice surgery is removed and he instead spends his days as a window cleaner, which offers him ample opportunity for yet more sexual relations, and very little actual window cleaning. He has a general air of lack of consequence. He had formerly been married and has a son but never sees him nor does he have any desire to be in his life. He does not consider the effect his actions have on those connected to him, determinedly living a life of lightness, with not a thought to the heaviness he imposes on those around him as a consequence. 

The narrative flits between characters, between the dreamworld and the real, and at times the narrator speaks to us directly as the reader. It is not a conventional narrative style but it is interesting, and as we approach the end we see the same events from different perspectives. An interesting read which explores gender relations and identity, personal responsibility, and uses the historical context, which was still very relevant at the time of publication, to add a sense of finality to decisions. A book which you can enjoy as a standalone piece, but which is likely to inspire a deeper dive into some of the ideas, events, and issues explored. 

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A Symphony of Echoes, Jodi Taylor

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Book two in The Chronicles of St. Mary's gives us a chance to catch up with Max, promoted to Chief Operations Officer but just as hot headed. We find her in Victorian London on the hunt for Jack the Ripper. It’s Kalinda Black’s final jump (for those rare few who make it, they’re able to pick where they’d like to go), but it soon becomes clear that going looking for one of history’s most notorious killers might not have been the best idea, and they’re getting more than they bargained for.

Fast-paced as ever, Taylor whizzes us off on a dodo hunt, to the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh, and sixteenth century Scotland to try and get history back on track. Amid all the adventure is the usual camaraderie between colleagues and the explosive relationship between Max and Leon. Our heroes are not the only returning players though, with some familiar villains hiding in time and causing chaos and destruction at every opportunity.

Taylor continues the series with flair and good humour, and although at times this doesn’t feel quite as strong as book one, it’s still hugely enjoyable. The locations and times that they visit are varied and interesting, and Max gets herself in some sticky situations you’re not sure how she’ll escape from. A few new aspects are added to the mix - a jump forward in time, and a mission to the past where they actually want to interfere with the outcome. This provides some new conundrums and also offers Max the opportunity to really step up. Seeing events from her perspective with added comments from the benefit of hindsight, we see when she realises she’s made an error. The team prove themselves strong, loyal and brave time and again, and repeatedly do everything they can to ensure nobody is left behind. 

Whether you’ve always wondered at the true identity of Jack the Ripper, or questioned how alluring Bothwell really was, this book has some fun takes on our historic household names. The drawing of the different eras and geographies is rich and evocative, and the little details about, for example, how difficult the dress of the day made it to get around, make it feel believable. It is the history that takes centre stage and once more Taylor presents it to us in an engaging, humorous style. I’m looking forward to finding out where they all end up next. 

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