Book review - Water for Elephants

This isn't a book I would normally have read (as it isn't SF of fantasy), but my mother was given two copies by a friend who was evangelical about the book, so she passed one onto me.

I took quite a while to get around to reading it, but greatly enjoyed it when I did.

The story is mainly set in depression era American in the world of the travelling circus.  One night per town. Even as the last member of the audience has filed into the big top for the show, the roustabouts outside are already starting to clear down the midway and the concession stands and load them onto the train for the next venue.  It's a transient community with its own customs and rules.

Those who watched 'Carnivale' will recognise the world of the couch dancer and the freaks, the performers and the roustabouts.

This circus also has a menagerie with an assortment of animals to entertain the public.  But this is the Depression, and things are tough. When the circus hits bad times, the manager will do anything to try and improve profits. As other circuses go down, the manager of Benzini Brothers arrives like a vulture at a carcass to scavenge what he can.  And what he really wants is an elephant.

He spends large sums of money to get one and then has to save money elsewhere to pay for it.  Read the book to discover what 'redlighting' means... (nothing to do with brothels)

The story is told through the eyes of Jacob Jankowski who joins up with the circus almost by accident, and retells the story as an old man in a nursing home.

There's a really good twist near the end of the story and I like the way the writer handles it.

Well worth reading - the writer got hooked into doing this book after seeing some old circus photos.  She ended up doing masses of research, and really brings the world of the circus train to life.

Sod's Law strikes again

I was supposed to be going to London this weekend, to catch up with two friends I haven't seen nearly enough of, and to do some editing work with another friend.

Instead, I'm sitting here with my throat all swollen and unable to talk above a whisper.

Grrr.

Care and feeding of raspberries

If you have any raspberries or blackcurrants, then this is the best time of year (just as the new leaf growth is starting) to feed them. About three inches of manure or compost all round them (go out at as far as the bush goes and maybe a little bit more). Don't let the compost/manure touch the stems - give a couple of inches space.

If you have gooseberries or redcurrants, they should already have had a couple of inches (goseberries come into growth a little earlier), but better late than never.

Remember, if you like soft fruit, you need to feed them. They can't give you the fruit unless you give them the nutrients to grow the fruit.

(strawberries are different - being very low growing, it isn't practical to use manure/compost, so you prepare a very nice bed indeed and create a new one every three years)

In the winter, when all the leaves have died, cut out at ground level (or an inch or two above if you can't reach easily) all canes that have borne fruit that year.  (in the case of autumn fruiting raspberries, that will usually be all of them.  In the case of summer fruiting raspberries, it will be around half of them)

Grass clippings make a good mulch for raspberries (and lots of other things too) and are a very effective way of suppressing weeds while adding organic matter and nitrogen to your soil. Cut your grass, and sprinkle the fresh clippings (and inch thick is fine) around your fruit bushes.