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B o o k s
grbooks@cf.ac.uk
Quench 04 10 04
This week Dan Ashcroft argues that Stephen King may not be as legendary as people assume
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certain sophistication with language; a wonderful approach to plot structure; and the ability to strike fear in the mind of the reader. That’s what I thought at the age of thirteen. Not many would question American multi-bestseller Stephen King but as time grows old so does the lack of innovation in King’s books, particularly apparent in a novel I recently embarked upon, The Talisman, in correspondence with its cinema release in 2005. By the age of eighteen, King’s noticeable lack of sophisticated imagery and prose, coupled with his rigid sentence structure, make reading his works reminiscent to that of reading Great Expectations on a hot school summer afternoon. It’s not that the themes and ideas that he portrays in his books aren’t original; it’s the way in which he expresses these ideas. A distinct lack of fluency and very basic vocabulary make for dull reading. Nobody would think as much if he were writing for a younger audience. However, with a predominantly adult fan base, the man who has received countless nominations for the infamous Bram Stoker Award, seems to dumb down what could potentially be scintillating literary brilliance.
THE GUARDIAN 2005 UNIVERSITY GUIDE
Edited by Jimmy Leach
Atlantic Books
When I opened this book I thought that I’d be bored to tears but I was wrong. This Guide has the perfect mixture of understandable facts and advice for prospective university students.Opening with the tale of how 60 Oxford students were killed in 1355 in riots over beer prices I was happy to know that priorities haven’t really changed in the last few centuries. Along withthe league tables, the Guide is packed with fantastic advice. This could be useful for Freshers who may want help on university’s social side. Not only is the advice accessible (no fuddy duddies here) but it also
Don’t get me wrong, King’s rise to brilliance is recognisable simply from the number of awards gained since 1980, particularly the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the literary world, however, the lack of raw edge in a world where innovation and originality is 90 percent of a bestseller, means that fresher authors, willing to adopt to different styles within thriller writing, are slowly surpassing him. Not that I need to speak of King’s apparent scarcity in the literary world. Since 2003 King’s attention has been turned to the screen where he has been assisting the release of a number of his novels; Bag of Bones and Riding the Bullet are just two of the titles in the pipeline. Some would say features articles from Guardian columnists on their university experiences. The Guide tells it like it is but is not pessimistic. The fact that graduates earn on average £400,000 more than non-graduates in their lives is very reassuring in a time where the value of higher education is often questioned. Perhaps the most valuable part of the Guide, however, is the facts. Every subject has a section which opens with an overview written by lecturers. The league tables in the subject sections then rate each university’s performance so you may want to check out how well your subject is rated. Best of all, there is then an entry on every university in Britain and Northen Ireland. Every entry includes vital facts such as graduate employment percentage, male to female ratio
reminiscent to a singer who resorts to acting as a fallback from a career downfall, King’s turn to the screen needs to be of substantial success if he is to once again turn headsin the tough shark pool of media frenzy. King’s backtrack from writing critically acclaimed novels has coincided with fellow writer James Herbert’s sudden surge in popularity. In stark contrast to King, Herbert has grown in stature by each novel, becoming a titan among novelists, whereas many believe that King’s best works came as novelettes in the ‘70s. With none of the rambling descriptive prose that King has almost trademarked, Herbert’s success comes fresh from riding the crest of a wave of literary brilliance, while King has been left trailing in a path of vicious white-water.
and, of course, the price of a pint. You will be pleased to know that Cardiff has an 84% graduate employment rate and a 47:53 male to female ratio. Even gair rhydd gets a mention! Every university then has a report from one of its students who explains what life is like in the university. The Cardiff report describes it as the ‘total university experience’. So whether you know someone who is applying to a university or want to see how Cardiff compares to other universities, this Guide is highly reccommended. It is particularly fantastic in that it tells you that a kebab in Cardiff costs 80p less than one in Newport. Now that has to be a good thing! Kerry-Lynne Doyle