Stop! Grammar time.

 

The first Grammar Time of the new year! What does it bring?

OXYMORONS

An oxymoron is when two words with opposite meanings are placed next to each other in the sentence. 

The sentence then looks like it is a contradiction of terms; however, it can add drama to your sentence or speech, or it can make the reader or listener stop and think or laugh at the idea. 

One of the most used oxymorons in Australia is:

Yeah nah

It can be written in different ways (yeah-nah or yeahnah), but that doesn't change its meaning or impact. 

'Yeah nah' actually means that yes, I have heard you speak; no, I don't agree with you. It is a phrase that may minimise offense when you think the person you are speaking with is wrong though you understand what they are saying, or if you think it is a bad idea and won't go along with it. Of course, if there is a longer pause between the words; then the point is being made more strongly that there is disagreement. 

Also with oxymorons, 'yeah nah' can go in the opposite direction: nah yeah

Head spinner! Particularly because whilst it can mean the opposite of 'yeah nah', it also necessarily doesn't. Maybe something was missed from the conversation and so nah, I see your point, but yeah there's also this to consider. Or, maybe it is just to highlight the fact that something isn't right, or it is silly, or it doesn't make sense: nah that's wrong, and yeah I/we know it's wrong. 

I know it is a long explanation; but it shows the depth of oxymorons. There are also plenty of others that are more well-known globally:

That's the same difference.

You are clearly confused.

I better act naturally. 

A small crowd gathered to watch the bittersweet performance.

What others can you think of?

Staff pick: Jane Coverdale's "Jasmine wife"

 

You can find this book here.

Coverdale's novel is a classic historical romance set in India. As the blurb on the back says:

Sara Archer's future as the dutiful wife of a British official in India seems assured, until a chance meeting with the gorgeous and powerful Ravi Sabran changes everything. Under the heat of the Indian sun, the veneer of polite society wears off quickly and soon Sara realises that nothing is as it appears to be, especially her husband Charles. But in the beautiful jasmine gardens of the Maharajah's palace, Sara follows a forbidden path away from her bullying husband, towards Ravi and the long-buried secrets of her own birth.

Romance novels tend to follow very defined patterns, as does any genre, and this book was no exception to that. You may not be surprised by much in this romantic story, but you might enjoy some of the characters. 

Sara, for example, is 'ahead of her time' for the historical setting; being influenced by the beginnings of the Suffragette movement and feeling more at home around the Indian population than the stuffy, bigoted English. This may or may not bother you, depending on whether you think it is realistic or not for Sara to be so open-minded during this period. 

Whilst this novel is not historic in terms of specific dates or even possibly specific events that may have occurred during the time; the descriptions and colours of the environment are very strong. As Coverdale comes from an Art Director and Scenic Artistry background, this makes sense. 

The pace is slow. So, if you like romance and action to move quickly, this may not be the read for you. However, it shows a lot of restraint of characters trying to understand emotions, duties and responsibilities and how to balance these two things together. That might be of interest to you. It is more about characters understanding themselves than an epic romance.

Jack Heath's "Hangman"

 

You can find this book here.

'Hangman' is a thriller where Timothy 'Tim' Blake looks for a kidnapped adolescent. One of the twists is that as a consultant to the FBI; whilst he is a genius, he is also a dangerous criminal that shouldn't be trusted. But, if need be, you call the genius in to solve the hardest puzzles and cases there are. And to the protagonist, this one turns out to be one he can't solve so easily. 

As a protagonist; you may not like Tim Blake. Or maybe he will grow on you. He is an anti-hero. But he is engaging and a fresh perspective on a genre you may have read a lot of. The background, education, life and choices of the character are also interesting and add more depth to Blake. I think it is helped that the setting for the novel is Texas somehow; like all the bad things anybody has ever mentioned about Texas has been included, and so the characters seem to fit into their setting. Of course, this could make it more unrealistic and believable to other readers. The choice is yours.

The pace is quick and easy; you will finish it quickly. It is a darker novel, with a lot of gritty elements; so it might not be for you if you prefer a lighter crime or thriller fiction novel. Heath is also an Australian author; if this matters to you, but may also then turn you off reading it if you think he can't possibly hold the setting truly. 

From the acknowledgements, Heath seems to have done some serious research to make the novel, and especially the characters, believable. Give it a go and see if you like it. 

And then you can read the rest we have in the series:

Hunter

Hideout  (this book is not out yet; but you can reserve it)

Links for you

Heath in the Library:

Shockave

(a Junior Fiction choose-your-own adventure story)

Cut out

(a Young Adult novel - part of a series)

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Silent wife

Karin Slaughter

In this novel, a lot of the themes are the same in terms of death row and kidnapping. The genre is also the same, as well as the level of violence.

Dexter: an omnibus

Jeffry P. Lindsay

Whilst the characters are different in background; the way they work to stop crime and the level of violence is similar. However; Dexter, as a character, is probably not as flawed.

Hannibal rising

Thomas Harris

The characters are similarly twisted and dark within this novel and Heath's.

Eva Nour's "Stray cats of Homs"

 

You can find this book here. The book was originally titled De hemlösa katterna i Homs as it was written in Stockholm. The English translation read by me was made by Agnes Broomé.

This book is in the Library's general fiction section; however, it contains some biographical events of 'Sami' (not their real name for safety reasons) during the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011 and is at this point still ongoing; though it could possibly be classified as an escalated war that is more than just within Syria.

If you would like fact-based progression of the war, Britannica has created a timeline for viewing here.  

Don't get me wrong, there are facts within this book that relate to the timeline and progressions of history. However; this book focusses on the experiences, relationships and life during this time of the protagonist Sami. When Syria goes to war with itself, normal is no longer what Sami remembers or lives through (particularly regarding to the reader if they have not lived through Civil War). Whilst there are horrors and devastation in Sami's life, the novel does focus on the concepts of hope and home with Sami. These themes are interwoven throughout the text and really help shape the reader's understanding of the concepts, as well as war and trying to live with it. 

Let's face it, when the blurb on the back claims: 

              Tender, wild and unbearably raw, it is a novel which will stay with you for ever

It means it.

The protagonist is well rounded, the descriptions are full. You feel part of the scene, even if you are rather distanced by possibly not having the knowledge or understanding of this kind of experience. There is a lot of emotion in this book; and if you are not comfortable with some things that happen during wartime, this may be a little too detailed for you, as again, some descriptions are rather vivid (for example, what changes occur through vitamin deficiencies).

This means that it adds depth and heartbreak to events readers may only know through the distance of media. The writing is detailed and full and shows the effects of war on individuals trying to escape it, and those who remain. 

At the end of the novel, you also receive extra information, notes and photographs from 'Sami' and used within the novel that helps understand why Sami told his story and why Eva (not her real name) wrote it. 

This book is a powerful read.

Links for you

The books in this list found within our Library may have different focusses, characters, and writing styles. However; their themes are similar if you would like more perspectives and information on the Syrian Civil War.

Nujeen

Nujeen Mustafa

Syria's secret library

Mike Thomson

We crossed a bridge and it trembled

Wendy Pearlman

Last sanctuary in Aleppo

Alaa Aljaleel