Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks

I had nothing better to do so I guessed I'll just blog a little bout this book I'm now reading. It was introduced by Yi Liang two days ago to me to kill my boredom... I'm half way reading it (not exactly half) but it is quite interesting for now. If you love everything bout philosophy, then you will definitely love this book. This is the first book written by him that I read. I'll definitely add him into my list of fav author.

The cover

The review:
The evolution of psychiatric treatment is explored through the intertwined lives of two 19th-century men.Faulks's epic is as daunting as the path of his main characters. Frenchman Jacques Rebiere, fascinated by science, is brother to Olivier, whose slow descent into madness from middle childhood drives Jacques's search for answers. Englishman Thomas Midwinter is desperate to escape the life planned out for him by his domineering parents. Early in their period of discovery, the two cross paths in a chance meeting precipitated by Sonia, Thomas's older sister. The men's conversation through their language barrier is the start of a long and productive partnership. Faulks (On Green Dolphin Street, 2002, etc.) takes great care in constructing his latest work to fit the narrative style of the period of which he writes. He uses lengthy scenes and a vast array of characters. Perspective shifts occasionally seem awkward: third-person narrative, letters, journal entries, first-person perspective, speeches. The story tracks the nascent profession across Europe and around the world. Each man is on an individual search for meaning, and their experiences run the gamut of dramatic moments. There are loves lost and found, career successes and failure, times of camaraderie and of estrangement. Behind the players, Faulks explores the evolution of thought about . . . thought. The time period covers the shedding of the old ways of thinking and the shift to a new respect for the power of the human mind. The change was arduous at times. The central theme for the author seems to be the delicate balance between the strength of the human spirit and the frailty of human emotion. Logic and reason will be challenged by love in all its forms. Though the work is somewhat confined by the period framework, Faulks paints a tableux of 19th-century life that is remarkably revealing.Epic in scope, this is an imaginative look at the rise of medicine for the mind.

His other works of perfection:

A Trick of the Light Bodley Head, 1984
The Girl at the Lion d'Or Hutchinson, 1989
A Fool's Alphabet Hutchinson, 1992
Birdsong Hutchinson, 1993
The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives Hutchinson, 1996
Charlotte Gray Hutchinson, 1998
The Vintage Book of War Stories (editor with Jorg Hensgen) Vintage, 1999
On Green Dolphin Street Hutchinson, 2001
Human Traces Hutchinson, 2005
Pistache Hutchinson, 2006
Engleby Hutchinson, 2007
Devil May Care Penguin, 2008

If you want to know more bout Sebastian Faulks, visit http://www.sebastianfaulks.com/. Try it, and you will love it!

P/S~ I just realised that Charlotte Gray was his work too. The movie is awesome. This make Human Traces the second of his work I seen. I think Birdsong will be nice, so for those with extra money, buy me one ya!

Love,
yin

Tiring Day...

I was quite tired today cuz woke up at 8 am, went to help Mr. Wong to arrange tables and chairs at his school. I only slept lk 4 hours the night before 'cause reading novel. I din't realise it was so late until i saw the clock showing 5 mins to 4 am. I was lk SHOT!! Went for breakfast, then helped to arrange the tables and chairs for almost every class. Bro was there too..OH MAN! they are full of dust..not to mention LIZARDS! But doing all this arranging reminded me of school last time ( actually its not that long ago). That's what I had been doing since Standard 1 especially when you are a prefect, you can't run away from doing all this stuff. It is as though part of your duty. Anyway, I felt glad to help Mr. Wong, and since I don't have anything to do at home , so why not? Carried tables and chairs from one place to one place. Quite tiring though but i enjoyed it. There's a few kids helping Mr. Wong too and for goodness sake, they are even stronger than me but half of my size .When I saw them carrying the tables with no help at all, it's lk WAO!!. Malunya..hahaaha.We finished bout 1 pm, Mr. Wong treated us a big lunch then went back home. I thought i dislocated my wrist just now 'cuz during lunch time there's a KRAK! sound from my wrist. Even my bro heard it. I freaked out almost cuz a hand is the most important asset for a pianist.Lucky, it was nothing, just a lil pain but its fine.PHEW! I felt strange today. Don't know why..maybe because lack of sleep..
Reached home bout 2.30 pm, had a quick bath then again went out for my driving lesson. Today's lesson was quite interesting." Interesting" as in my car reversed itself lk twice when went up the slope. I think I cursed a lot of time (uncountable) in the car. Fortunately, Mr. Leong was not in the car with me at that time.You know what..The air-condition in the car spitted out ice flakes. I'm not joking, it happened a few times. At 1st I just felt some cold subtance dropped on my hand. I thought it was just water but then Mr. Leong told me it was ice actually. Lol.. There's only a few trainee there so I did not need to wait to long for very section. I am taking my test next tuesday. Pray to God that i'll pass..start to worry bout it already. Oh ya did i mention that Nancy PASSED her exam? It's so great for her.. waiting for my turn now.
There's this conversation between me and my friend bout the events that first time happened to us in year 2008. I din't realise that i have been through so many "First Times'" this year. I had made a list of it:

1. 1st time be so far away from my dear sis
2. 1st time I saw mom and dad cried so much
3. 1st time I went to a prom and with a date
4. 1st time I played basketball game in the arcade
5. 1st time I drove a car
6. 1st time I had a masak-masak session with my siblings on Mother's Day
7. 1st time i felt the bliss of shoping
8. 1st time I lost my taste bud which came back only after 4 hours (freaked me out all thanks to the green chili padi)
9. Ist time went out for a vacation without sis
10. 1st time became a secretary for the prefectorial board with all the papers work
11. 1st time went for a interview for scholarship

I'm sure there will be more "First Time" in my future and there will be also 2nd ,3rd time and go on for the above events. Year 2009 is coming soon and everything that happened this year will soon be history in my life. I wish that the upcoming year will be a better year and more "First Time" will happen in my life. For everyone out there especially my love ones, Wenyin wish you guys all the best in your future undertakings and may God Bless You:) Dozing off.....

Love,
yin