Desert Island Books 9

Happy Christmas!

Our December Castaway is Julian Merriman, Information Librarian based at Cwmbran Library.

My first choice could be a cheat because it comprises a series of six books and I could happily read them all several times. If I had to choose one it would be the first in the series, “The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack” by Mark Hodder.

This begins the fictional adventures of real-life historical characters. The main heroes are Sir Richard Francis Burton, explorer, linguist extraordinaire, scholar and so much more, and his sidekick, diminutive poet Algernon Swinburne. The setting is the Science Fiction sub-genre of ‘Steampunk’. There are many writers in the genre to choose from, but this book has an almost credible reason for the British Victorian industrial revolution era going haywire, sending the world into a parallel universe of madness and mayhem. By cleverly using real historical references as plots and story-lines, the first book follows the moment history changed and how Burton & Swinburne become embroiled in the consequences with the situation only ever getting worse as they realise all is not as it should be.

My next choice is also a series, ‘Bryant & May’ by Christopher Fowler. There are 15 titles so far with another due out early next year and the author is a previous winner of the CWA (Crime Writers Association) ‘Dagger in the Library Award’.

The popular format of the detective duo is filled here by the ageing Arthur Bryant and John May. From the very first book they are way past retirement age and their ‘Peculiar Crimes Unit’ is constantly under threat of imminent closure. As the name implies, they investigate the more odd-ball crimes that the Metropolitan Police department don’t want to handle, or can’t. Like any good crime book these can be read again once you know the ending so you can pick out all the clues in the text that you missed the first time. They’re all good, so if I had to choose one I’d pick the first to hand from the ships’ library just before I get shipwrecked on that desert island.

Third choice would be ‘Catch 22’ by Joseph Heller. Rightly a classic and hugely fun to read, the plot follows the crazy, zany and quite frankly ridiculous adventures of Captain John Yossarian as he tries desperately to escape from the US Army Air Forces bomb squadron, based in the Pacific during World War 2. The origin of the phrase comes from the title of this book, where airmen who were mentally unfit to fly did not have to do so, but could not actually be excused. Told from a number of character perspectives, all of whom are as fascinating as they are completely bonkers, it’s a story that I could read many times and always find more to surprise and delight in the many sub-plots throughout the book.

Fourth choice would have to be ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by JRR Tolkien. The story, written between 1937 and 1949 in three books, is timeless and the original true fantasy world novel. It has inspired a whole host of imitators, but for me none have ever bettered it. Remarkably, this huge endeavour was the culmination of a lifetime of work that had begun in 1917 in the creation of the Tolkien world. Many books are now adapted to the big screen but nothing can ever improve the original story as was intended by the author. I’ve read this three times and will be reading it again, so it’s the perfect desert island book. There can’t be many people now who aren’t familiar with the plot, and it’s been analysed to the nth degree over the years and is claimed to be a reflection of Tolkien’s wartime experiences, which he always denied. The works, however, do reflect his love of the British landscape, linguistics and his distaste of modernisation, all themes which feature strongly in this work.

My fifth choice would be ‘The Third Policeman’ by Flann O’Brien. A bewildering story of hallucinogenic dreamlike quality and weirdness that keeps you entertained and curious right until the end. Surreal, bizarre and so entertaining, (if you like that sort of thing), the ending will make it all worthwhile. I should’ve seen it coming, but I didn’t. The author was already a published writer but this work was initially declined by his publishers and wasn’t released until 1967, after O’Brien’s death.

My final choice would have to be a graphic novel. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the genre is on the rise again after its’ gradual demise in the 1980’s. Old titles are being re-published, new authors and illustrators are emerging and they’re being bought by the public and restocked by libraries. For my desert island choice I would take one of the ‘Charley’s War’ series by Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun. First published in ‘Battle’ comic between 1979 and 1986, the strip follows British soldier Charley Bourne through World War 1, and the storyline had no qualms in depicting the true horrors of trench warfare as well as the terrible psychological effects on those brave men who fought at the front. The writer, Pat Mills, added a political element into the stories not seen in British comics before and avoided the standard heroic plotlines that were otherwise common. The artwork by Joe Colquhoun, a key element of a graphic novel after all, was renowned for being meticulously researched and historically accurate. Reading these stories you are drawn ever closer to Charley as you cry out for the injustices, rage against his enemies and wrong-doers and become immersed in that terrible event in history that took so many lives.  

Llyfrau ar Ynys Bell 9

Ar yr ynys yn Rhagfyr mae Julian Merriman, Llyfrgellydd Gwybodaeth yn Llyfrgell  Cwmbrân.

Twyll fyddai fy newis cyntaf gan ei fod yn cynnwys cyfres o chwe llyfr a buaswn i’n ddigon hapus o’u darllen sawl gwaith. Pe bai rhaid i fi ddewis un yna’r cyntaf yn y gyfres fyddai, “The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack” gan Mark Hodder.

Dyma ddechrau anturiaethau ffuglennol cymeriadau hanesyddol go iawn. Y prif arwyr yw Sir Richard Francis Burton, fforiwr, ieithydd neilltuol, ysgolhaig a llawer mwy, a’i bartner, y bardd Algernon Swinburne. Y lleoliad yw’r is-ddosbarth Ffuglen Wyddonol, ‘Steampunk’. Mae yna nifer o awduron yn y dosbarth y gallwch ddewis, ond mae gan y llyfr yma reswm credadwy bron am i gyfnod y chwyldro diwydiannol Fictorianaidd Prydeinig fynd o chwith, gan ddanfon y byd i fyd cyfochrog o wallgofrwydd ac anrhefn.  Gan ddefnyddio cyfeiriadau hanesyddol go iawn ar gyfer plotiau, mae’r llyfr cyntaf yn dilyn y foment y bu i hanes newid a sut aeth Burton a Swinburne ynghlwm wrth y canlyniadau gyda’r sefyllfa’n gwaethygu wrth iddyn nhw sylweddoli nad yw pob peth fel y dylai fod.

Mae fy newis nesaf hefyd yn gyfres, ‘Bryant & May’ gan Christopher Fowler. Mae yna 15 o deitlau hyd yn hyn gydag un arall yn cael ei gyhoeddi’n gynnar y flwyddyn nesaf ac mae’r awdur yn gyn-enillydd Gwobr ‘Dagr yn y Llyfrgell’ Cymdeithas Awduron Trosedd.

Yma yn fformat poblogaidd y pâr o dditectifs mae’r pâr oedrannus Arthur Bryant a John May. Ers y llyfr cyntaf oll maen nhw wedi hen ymddeol ac mae eu ‘Uned Troseddau Anarferol’ o dan fygythiad beunyddiol o gael ei chau’n syth. Fel mae’r enw yn awgrymu, maen nhw’n ymchwilio i’r troseddau mwy od nad yw Heddlu Llundain am neu’n gallu delio â nhw. Fel unrhyw lyfr trosedd da gallwch eu hail-ddarllen unwaith y byddwch yn gwybod y diwedd fel y gallwch weld y cliwiau y gwnaethoch chi eu colli’r tro cyntaf. Maen nhw i gyd yn dda, felly pe bai rhaid i mi ddewis un buaswn yn dewis y cyntaf a ddaeth i law yn llyfrgell y llong cyn y llongddrylliad sy’n fy ngadael i ar yr ynys.

Y trydydd dewis fyddai ‘Catch 22’ gan Joseph Heller. Yn glasur ac yn hwyl i’w ddarllen, mae’r plot yn dilyn anturiaethau gwyllt, gwallgof a hurt y Capten John Yossarian wrth iddo geisio dianc o sgwadron fomio Llu Awyr yr Unol Daleithiau, sydd yn y Môr Tawel yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Daw’r dywediad o deitl y llyfr yma, pan nad oedd rhaid i awyrenwyr a oedd yn feddyliol anghymwys i hedfan i wneud hynny, ond nid oedd modd iddyn nhw gael eu hesgusodi.  Adroddir y stori o nifer o wahanol bersbectifau, pob un mor gyfareddol ag maen nhw’n wallgof, mae’n stori y gallwn ddarllen nifer o weithiau a chael hyd i fwy i synnu a fy swyno yn y nifer o isblotiau trwy’r llyfr.

Y pedwerydd dewis fyddai ‘The Lord of the Rings’ gan JRR Tolkien. Mae’r stori a ysgrifennwyd rhwng 1937 a 1949 mewn tri llyfr yn fythol wyrdd a hi yw’r nofel byd ffantasi gwreiddiol. Mae hi wedi ysbrydoli llu o efelychwyr ond, i fi, does 'na’r un gwell. Yn anhygoel, penllanw gwaith bywyd a ddechreuodd wrth greu byd Tolkien oedd yr ymdrech yma. Mae nifer o lyfrau nawr yn cael eu haddasu ar gyfer y sgrin fawr ond does dim gwella ar y stori wreiddiol a fwriadwyd gan yr awdur. Rydw i wedi darllen hwn deirgwaith a byddaf yn ei ddarllen eto, felly dyma’r llyfr perffaith ar gyfer ynys bell. Mae’n siŵr nad oes llawer o bobl nad yw’r plot yn gyfarwydd iddyn nhw, ac mae wedi ei ddadansoddi’n dwll dros y blynyddoedd a honnir iddo fod yn adlewyrchiad o brofiadau Tolkien yn ystod y rhyfel, er ei fod wedi gwadu hynny. Mae’r gwaith, serch hynny’n adlewyrchu ei gariad tuag at dirwedd Prydain, ieitheg a’i atgasedd tuag at foderneiddio, themâu sy’n ymddangos yn gryf yn y gwaith yma.

Fy mhumed dewis fyddai ‘The Third Policeman’ gan Flann O’Brien. Stori ddryslyd o rinweddau ac odrwydd breuddwydiol sy’n cadw’ch diddordeb a’ch chwilfrydedd tan y diwedd. Mae’n swrrealaidd, yn od ac mor ddifyr (os ydych chi’n hoffi’r math yma o beth), ac mae’r diweddglo yn gwneud y cwbl yn werth chweil.  Dylwn i fod wedi gweld y diweddglo’n dod, ond wnes i ddim.  Cafodd y gwaith yma ei wrthod gan ei gyhoeddwyr i ddechrau er bod yr awdur wedi cyhoeddi gwaith o’r blaen ac ni chafodd ei ryddhau tan 1967, ar ôl marwolaeth O’Brien.

Fy newis olaf fyddai nofel graffig. Beth bynnag yw eich barn amdanyn nhw mae’r dosbarth yma ar i fyny eto ar ôl cilio’n raddol yn yr 1980au. Mae hen deitlau yn cael eu hail-gyhoeddi, mae awduron a darlunwyr newydd yn dod i’r amlwg ac maen nhw’n cael eu prynu gan y cyhoedd ac yn ôl ar silffoedd llyfrgelloedd. Ar gyfer yr ynys bell fe fuaswn yn dewis un o gyfres ‘Charley’s War’ gan Pat Mills a Joe Colquhoun. Fe’u cyhoeddwyd gyntaf yng nghomig ‘Battle’ rhwng 1979 a 1986, ac mae’r stribed yn dilyn milwr Prydeinig, Charley Bourne, trwy’r Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf, a dyw’r stori ddim yn ymatal rhag dangos erchyllterau’r ffosydd yn ogystal â’r effeithiau seicolegol ofnadwy ar y dynion fu’n ymladd ar y ffrynt. Ychwanegodd yr awdur, Pat Mills, elfen wleidyddol i’r storïau nad oedd wedi ei gweld mewn comics Prydeinig o’r blaen ac mae’n osgoi’r plotiau arwrol a oedd yn fwy cyffredin. Mae’r gwaith celf, elfen allweddol mewn nofel graffig, gan Joe Colquhoun, yn adnabyddus am ymchwil gofalus ac am fod yn hanesyddol gywir. Wrth ddarllen y storïau yma cewch eich tynnu’n fwyfwy agos at Charley wrth i chi weiddi allan oherwydd yr anghyfiawnderau, gwylltio gyda’i elynion ac ymgolli yn y digwyddiad hanesyddol ofnadwy yna a laddodd gymaint.