This book is far and away the shortest in my project so far, yet it has taken the longest to get through. The last few weeks have included my wedding day, honeymoon and the continuing saga of me getting used to the new house and resulting married lifestyle.

Up until two days ago I hadn’t read a word of any book in the house. I’d been too busy, too tired and/or visiting the new expanded family. I’m happy to say I now feel like the madness is calming down I can feel myself becoming more settled.

I did, however, read a couple of books on holiday. Wanted something a wee bit more easy for the poolside. I read Microserfs by Douglas Coupland and The Treatment by Mo Hayder both of which were also recommended to me on this blog. They were both alright. Mircroserfs was full of anecdotes that relates geek stuff to inspirational life-coaching. Right up my street. The Treatment was a disturbing story about child abduction. Kept me reading but really couldn’t care less about any of the characters towards the end.

Lord of the Manor

I had started Animal Farm a few weeks before the wedding but, a couple of nights ago when I went back to it, I decided that I had to start again cause I felt like I had forgotten everything.

As I mentioned Animal Farm is very short so it only took a couple of sittings to finish it. Thought it was a great story. I tried to read it from the ‘Fairy Tale’ point of view but it’s almost impossible not to associate it with its intended allegory of the Russian Revolution. As soon as I finished I had that Smashing Pumpkins song in my head ‘The End is the Beginning is the End’. I love that Orwell alluded to the never ending loop of power: Communism > Rebellion > Democracy > Communism.

I wonder when we’ll get to the next stage of the loop.

I’ve got this urge to watch the Animal Farm cartoon now. Need to try and get my hands on it somehow.

Kudos to Jaggy for the recommendation. It’s about time I had this book in my brain.

Rating:

Also, the times are a changing on the book reading front. I finally decided what I want for my wedding present from the wife. Was going to get an X-Box but have went for the new Amazon Kindle. My thinking is that it is the future so I may as well be ahead of the game and buy it today, in the present. It’s massive in America. On honeymoon there were loads of Americans kicking about and at least one in every five or six people who were reading a book by the poolside had one. Good enough for me. Due for delivery early September!

Here is the song I was talking about:

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Right. I’m away out to get drunk and talk about normal guy stuff like football and cars. Have a good weekend!