Book reviews | State of Wonder | The Bicycle Book | Chavs | Season to Taste

Published on 23/06/2012 00:00

William Leith casts his eye over the latest paperback releases

STATE OF WONDER

BY ANN PATCHETT

(Bloomsbury, £7.99)

Rating: ****

Marina works in a medical lab in the cold north of the American Midwest. She is in her forties, clever, childless and she is having an affair with the boss. The lab is developing a fertility drug based on research in the Amazon. Then something terrible happens: Marina’s colleague, Anders, goes to the Amazon and doesn’t come back. Ann Patchett does everything right here : we are engaged with Marina and we know that something mind-bendingly weird is happening. When Marina flies out to investigate, we are mesmerised. A fine novel.

THE BICYCLE BOOK

BY BELLA BATHURST

(Harper Press, £8.99)

Rating: ***

Bella Bathurst, who always tackles her subjects with great verve, takes on the world of the bicycle. She tells us about its history, its design, and its fans – and how, in the age of cars, the bicycle has turned thousands of riders into obsessives. Bathurst takes us into the grim yet somehow wonderful world of pro cycling. It’s about pain and moments of overwhelming joy. She tells us about the top riders – people such as Lance Armstrong – but also the sport’s humbler athletes. But there’s much more too, including an interview with Graeme Obree, the king of cycling obsessives.

CHAVS

BY OWEN JONES

(Verso, £9 .99)

Rating: ***

The working class used to be respected and admired. But now, says Owen Jones, the opposite is the case. He compares two incidents to explain. When Madeleine McCann, the daughter of two doctors, disappeared, what followed was a huge media fanfare and a large reward was offered. But what happened when Shannon Matthews disappeared? Something starkly different. Look at the prejudice against the working class, and think of the word “chavs”, whose roots Jones investigates. He looks at everything – not just politicians but soap operas too. He’s got a point.

SEASON TO TASTE

BY MOLLY BIRNBAUM

(Portobello, £8.99)

Rating: ****

At college, Molly Birnbaum studied art history but she wanted to be a chef. She spent her time cooking things over and over. She became obsessed, a must if you want to be a top chef. She turned up at a top restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts and asked for a job. Starting out as a dishwasher, she began to explore the mysteries of flavour and smell. Then, horror! She was knocked down by a car. Among other injuries, she lost her sense of smell – crucial for a chef. Could she rally? Absolutely. Inspiring.