whizzbang.biz Blog

This The third novel Written by the Zoe Heller who also wrote “Notes on a Scandal and is available for £2.99 with The Times Newspaper this week.

It is the story of a New York secular Jewish left wing intellectual family and how their various belief systems fall apart. It opens when the main characters: Audrey and Joel first meet in London and then moves quickly to New York in 2002, they have now been married for 40 years and the story really starts from there.

Joel is a very succesful, out-spoken New York lawyer and Audrey has been his dutiful and very outspoken wife for all these years. When Joel is taken very ill and the family discover his secret, they all start to examine how they feel about themselves and each other.

The whole family is very brittle and extremely disfunctional – with no likeable or warm characters amongst them, yet you still need to know what they will do next. Audrey, the mother is a particularly nasty piece of work and her outbursts of bad language and un PC comments are kind of delightful in her own way! The whole family hate each other and hate themselves and each one them questions their beliefs and views throughout the book.

This novel has been decribed as “totally absorbing and very compelling”, “Dark funny subtle”and “Funny, moving and very, very, true.”

The forthcoming Doctor Who special The Waters of Mars is ‘one of the scariest’ according to star David Tennant. It sees the Timelord arrive on Mars in 2059 and battle terrifying zombie like aliens.

Viewers will see the Doctor meet the first human colony of people In time honoured tradition the transformation scenes are sure to send children rushing to the back of the sofa.

The episode, which will broadcast on BBC1 on November 15, also shows him facing a moral dilemma about whether to condemn people to their fate or save them and ultimately change the future.

Lindsay Duncan stars as Adelaide, commander of the colony. Tennant, 38, said the special was ‘probably one of the scariest’ yet. He added: ‘It tells a different story. It is a long time into the episode before the Doctor takes control. We expect him to know what to do and take control earlier. It is a long time before he does it.’ Russell T Davies dismissed the suggestion the drama could be too scary for children, and insisted that it was still aimed primarily at the family audience.

He said: ‘It’s a very intelligent story. Six year olds will be able to follow it. The is the sort of challenge you should give them.

The Waters of Mars will be followed by two final episodes over the Christmas period
which will see him battle arch enemy The Master, played by John Simm.

Audiences will also see him reunited with Donna Noble, played by comic actress
Catherine Tate before he regenerates.

Tennant, who announced he was quitting the show a year ago, is being replaced by
Matt Smith, 27.

He will make a brief appearance in the final special before featuring in the fifth
series next year.

Tennant has admitted he is ‘jealous’ of Smith, who is the youngest actor to have
played the character.

He explained: ‘I remember how exciting it was starting out on this kind of a journey and nerve-wracking – I’m jealous that he’s going through that now, but it couldn’t happen to a nicer chap. ‘I’m looking forward to not knowing what happens next. I’m looking forward to being a viewer again.’

He added that he had to keep a ’stiff upper lip’ while filming his final scenes.

‘It was very emotional saying cheerio. There is lots of scenes in the final episode that are very sad, and were very sad to play.’

Steven Moffat, who is taking over from Russell T Davies running the popular series, has already hailed Smith as the best Time Lord yet.