Swimming with Tigers by Kathy Hopewell - a Review

 
I am going to start off with a straightforward statement about Swimming with Tigers, the debut novel by Kathy Hopewell. Read it.  If you enjoy the fictionalised literary history of the likes of Pat Barker and Hilary Mantel, then Kathy Hopewell is the next, best author to add to your reading list.  I’m not even sure that Swimming with Tigers can be classified as a historical novel, per se, as it begins in 1938.  Does setting a novel less than a century ago classify it as historical, necessarily?

Regardless, the novel opens in the Paris of January, 1938 (it ends in September 1940 so covers almost three years).  We are quickly introduced to the dual protagonists (whose novel it really is, I will deal with later).  At the forefront, there is the post-debutante, neo-artist Penelope, an English rose with more than a few greenfly. Then, there is Suzanne, a young woman with little balance (physically and emotionally), returning to Paris to confront her past. Their chance meeting initiates the narrative drive of the novel, the beginning of a long and layered awakening for both. As the story quickly unfolds, we learn that both are part of (or rather caught up in) the surrealist movement and the men who dominate and distort it.

Now, I have set myself an aim to exclude any spoilers from this review – which is going to prove challenging. However, there are plenty of jaw-dropping revelatory moments in the first hundred pages of this novel - about both the past and the present - that would make wonderful cliffhanger episode endings should (and it should) this novel ever be made into a TV series. We learn much through Penelope’s eyes during this part of the novel – and these oh f**k moments are very skilfully dropped into the story by Hopewell. Although these moments are usually event-driven they reveal as much if not more about the nature of the men in and out of the lives of the two women as they do our protagonists.  

One of the early highlights of this part of the story, for me, is the free indirect discourse Hopewell uses to develop Penelope’s character – the moments we see things through her thoughts as words rather than those of the narrator’s.  Hopewell’s dialogue sparkles; the first meeting of the two protagonists is a joy to read for this alone. Suzanne’s blunt, cryptic and often obfuscatory answers frustrate Penelope while intriguing the reader.  She’s a mystery and Penelope is determined to discover more.

While I have to admit I didn’t really like Penelope for... quite a while, her frustrated asides about Suzanne’s inability to straightforwardly and honestly explain her history, had me smilingly nodding in agreement.  As her character develops, through her experiences, I did begin to like her more but couldn’t quite dissipate the 1930s “entitled trust fund baby” smoke she emanates almost throughout the novel and which enables her to get by on a number of occasions.  However, her financial dependence on her father does mean she can make unselfish decisions at important moments; this is delicately counter-balanced by the male artists’ willingness to take advantage of Pubol’s (a Dali-esque figure in the novel) wealth, despite their disdain for and jealousy of his commercial success.   As a quick aside, is it accident or design that Pubol’s name so closely resembles the French for garbage can (pubelle)?

Penelope scintillates despite my initial misgivings; she is very much the heart of this novel. And if she is the heart, then Suzanne is its soul, bringing depth and resilience (however fragile) to the story.  As opposites attract, these two characters are drawn together like magnets even if their relationship is hardly “smooth sailing” all the way. Of the two, I have to say that it was to Suzanne I was most drawn.  That isn’t to say I rushed to the end of each “Penelope chapter” in order to get to the next one about Suzanne (once they are separated by both geography and events).  However, I did engage with her travails significantly more than I did with those of Penelope!  My sympathies always rested with her one hundred percent, while with Penelope they vacillated a little.  Yet the novel is owned by both equally.

Surrealism is an essential part of this story but if that might put you off, don’t allow it to.  The “casual” reader doesn’t have to have knowledge of the movement – it is introduced and so explained organically to the reader through the fictional characters and scenes therein. I was half expecting extensive passages of explanatory exposition around the movement but they are mercifully absent.

I think if the novel is about anything, it’s about the exclusion of women from some thing (in this case surrealism) based almost solely on their gender and how they go about getting themselves included.  Or, rather how they go about evolving themselves to the point where inclusion is irrelevant, unnecessary – unwanted even; they have moved on.  This movement of character within the novel is, I think, its greatest achievement:  its subtle, refined and beautifully poised development of the two female protagonists.

This leads me to the men! I guess I have to think of the time in which the novel is set but even for 1938 the fictional artists featured here seem somewhat retrograde.  Preoccupied with the unshackling of cultural chains that their artistic movement demands of them, they overlook to include both genders as equal in their experiment. Indeed, they actively subvert any progressive role that gender equality might have in surrealism, veering dangerously in their art towards a sexually-based fantasy version of women that serves to silence, shift or suppress the artistic female and deny women entry to this particular club.

Oh, and it’s an only boys allowed club in essence and in reality.  At first I found it difficult to distinguish between the more peripheral of the male artists that Hopewell introduces in quick succession. It occurred to me that perhaps it was deliberate on the part of the author, as they seem to form into a collectivised multi-limbed creature that excuses and revels in the “joint enterprise” of demeaning and degrading the female gender – without it ever occurring to them that this is exactly what they are doing.  This extends into their personal lives with both Penelope and Suzanne (who receive very different treatments, but are still made less than who they are by their respective men).  The phallocentric pursuit of artistic freedom we witness at the Paris Exhibition thoughtlessly places the other gender into objectified bondage (sometimes literally).  It’s redolent of some of the court cases that we still witness today where groups of men are collectively accused of crimes against women that as individuals they would be too scared or cautious or powerless to attempt.

Rolf, Penelope’s lover is initially something of a guiding father figure, even if Penelope doesn’t fully realise or acknowledge that she is substituting one pretty useless “daddy” for another.  There is a contrast, later in the novel, when Suzanne forms a close bond with Isaac, an elderly Dutch Jew which demonstrates that the desire to have a male parent figure in one’s life does not have to result in personal damage.  Penelope’s final realisation about why she stayed with Rolf for so long is a revelation to her but not really the reader.  Despite Rolf’s positive traits (he does have some!), he is unwilling to change – perhaps incapable of it. Even after his own tribulations, his first thought is to rejoin, regroup and revivify the boy’s club elsewhere.

As beautifully as the main characters are drawn, I have to take a little time to rejoice in the way that Hopewell depicts some of the minor characters. Following the sub-theme of creating one’s own family, I just loved the character of the kindly and wise Isaac, who takes in Suzanne when she arrives in Amsterdam.  Then there are Eduardo and Llucia, who virtually adopt Penelope during her Spanish sojourn but who know that her destiny lies elsewhere. This closeness is in contrast to the vicious and exclusionary matriarch Hopewell creates in Suzanne’s paternal grandmother as well as the never-seen but often mentioned father of Penelope who judges her and distances himself simultaneously.   And then, and then… there is lovely, dear, fated Freddie. How could you have done that to him, Hopewell?

The late introduction of James MacConnell is a deft deus ex machina – and not an obtrusive one, helping to more than satisfactorily tie up some questions about our protagonists’ future that readers might have.  Perhaps, perhaps… MacConnell could have been Jemima rather than James? Or would that be too trite?  Is character gender irrelevant by this point?

As gorgeously written as the novel is, with its evocations of a number of European cities (researching the 1930s geography of which must have been a labour in itself) and their populations, the wonderfully drawn characters and the inner lives of the protagonists, it is only “beaten” by its structure – which is flawless.   Swimming with Tigers pivots between Penelope and Suzanne, as you might already have gathered.   It shifts location on a number of occasions, allowing us the opportunity to learn more about them (the weather is very cleverly used, too).  Subplots and themes are interwoven, adding layers to the main story, with short chapters that help to maintain its pace. Yes, even what happens to Freddie makes perfect sense structurally, dammit.

Swimming with Tigers is a remarkable novel, simply put.  I enjoyed it immensely and was immediately drawn into the world that Penelope and Suzanne inhabit.  Their final exchange might have you reaching for the hankies. You have been warned.

You can buy Swimming with Tigers at:

Amazon

Blackwells 

A Shaman's Tale

A mystical journey follows a powerful shaman from the depths of the jungle to the vast cosmos, inspired by an ancient Peruvian legend.

Seeking a deeper way to heal people’s souls, the old shaman sat beneath a tree and meditated for so long that a vine emerged from his chest, winding up the tree toward the sky to form a bridge between Earth and the Cosmos.

This vine, named Ayahuasca, was discovered by the villagers to have remarkable healing properties when combined with the chacruna leaf.

A Shaman's Tale was created by Jules Guérin.

The Ultimate Space Race

A humorous 3D animated short film retelling the events of the space race between the USA and USSR from 1955 to 1969. Based on the actual timeline, the team at Ambient Press has elaborated, exaggerated, and introduced some delightfully strange twists to depict how these extraordinary events unfolded.  I have to say that I now feel even more sorry for Laika than I did when I first learned about how she went into space (and never came back).

The Mark on the Wall

“Perhaps it was the middle of January in the present year that I first looked up and saw the mark on the wall.”  So starts Virginia Woolf’s first ever published short story.  This very short adaptation focuses on the narrator, fixated by the mark on the wall that she has just noticed and imagining many, many reasons for its presence in her room.  As you will see, the film is faithful to the short story and has the same, somewhat surreal, ending.  However, I don't think that this was what Virginia Woolf was really afraid of... (sorry, couldn't resist that).

Written and directed by Anderson Wright, The Mark on the Wall was produced by Vesta Tuckute for Violeta Films.

The Incredible Dinosaur Wall of Bolivia

Some things appear where you least expect them.  Although dinosaur tracks have been discovered the world over, climbing up a near vertical wall in a Bolivian quarry? Bolivia – yes, fine. Zooming up hundreds of feet towards the skies? Hardly.  Yet here they are.  Spread across a limestone slab a mile long and almost 300 feet high, this great wall at Cal Orcko near the city of Suvre reveals more than 5,000 footsteps, with 462 discrete trails.

What if there was a Higher Tier GCSE English Language?

That may not be a question anyone wants to answer at the moment.  Sure enough, the Higher Tier has existed before, but to be honest I shed no tears (little play on words there) when it was abandoned in favour of a unified single tier.  

I think the thing I disliked most about the old system of Higher and Foundation Tier was the yearly disputes that would arise when students were entered for the Foundation Papers. Many truly considered themselves if not Shakespeare reincarnate then certainly his heir, and insisted (or tried to) that they were put in for the Higher. The associated gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands by teachers when this decision had to be made was a sight to behold.  Now we're in the staffroom, there were also the endless debates along the lines of was it "easier" to get a C (the old marking system was A, B, C and so on) on the Foundation Paper than it was on the Higher?  

Don't even get me started on the 20% of the grade being made up of four controlled assessments (and marked by the teachers, therefore saving the examining bodies a stack of dosh).  I sometimes see (on teacher forums) educational professionals making an argument for the return of controlled assessments to contribute to the final grade awarded to candidates.  I think these people are, frankly, bonkers - or they are too young to remember the hell that was controlled assessment - or they have forgotten the hell that was controlled assessment - or they are management thinking of controlled assessment as the usual grass is always greener panacea it won't be, but willing (in their desperation to raise achievement) to deliver their staff into... the hell that controlled assessments would be.

Why am I so dead against? To begin with, there were (and I know this only by anecdote) shenanigans in some/many classrooms to say the least - this was where the controlled assessments were conducted. The amount of invigilation would vary wildly from one institution to another - so much so that one would be inclined to put inverted commas around the word.  One friend of the family put their hand up and admitted to writing their kid's controlled assessments (years after the fact) as the school they went to let them take "notes" into the CA with them and this ultimately became a competition in parental onecheatmanship. So, for me in an institution where things were done by the book, my own personal aspersions were easily cast as to the use of controlled assessments.  This was particularly true as kids who got a C for their CAs used to usually end up with a C overall – and so on.  There was so little point in these things and now in the age of AI I shudder to think what escapades might occur should we return to a (partially) controlled assessment based course.

Then there was the marking. If you were responsible for teaching 100 or more students GCSE English (not at all unusual then or now) then you would have over 400 pieces of work to mark in great detail.  This, as you can imagine, took an age - and destroyed many a holiday.  On top of that, there would be interminable rounds of internal verification for each controlled assessment. Why? Well, once the grades were collated and sent off to the exam board there would be external verification to suffer through and woe betide you if your institution had been too generous in the marking of the sample requested.

So the decision to move to a tierless and fully examined system was music to my ears. After all, you can ask everyone the same questions in English and you can rest assured that there will be such a variety of quality in the answers that it’s straightforward to separate the (grade) 9s from the 1s.

Or is it?  A number of my students each year make such light work of past papers that I sometimes have to cast around for extra things for them to do while the others play catch up - or give them harder "past papers" that I have put together myself.  As such, I do keep an eye out for more challenging texts and a recent revisit to Herman Melville’s Billy Budd presented me with an extract that immediately struck me as a text that could be used to stretch and challenge my more able students in “mock” situations.  Below gives you an idea of the work I have put into creating this "past paper".  There's an extensive mark scheme too - more information here.

Billy Budd wasn’t published until the 1920s although it was written in 1891.  Indeed, it didn’t get a fully “authorised and restored” version until the 1960s when Melville’s original notes were discovered.  Despite its rather strange history as a novel (or novelette to be more precise), Billy’s story has engaged readers since its first publication – it seems to hit a nerve with people and has been compared in greatness to Moby Dick (I have to disagree there).  Regardless, using a Melville text does present challenges to students.  While not as dense as Dickens (in terms of descriptive passages) by any means, the vocabulary used shows no deference to struggling readers – and neither do the literary and writing techniques employed. Melville certainly did not believe in dumbing anything down.

The passage I came upon centres around the accusations against Billy of mutiny, made by Claggart, the ship’s sinister master-at-arms.  This leads to tragic consequences for all involved.  The passage very neatly fits into the rhythm of a GCSE paper in terms of the questions and their order – to such an extent that one might think it was specifically written for this purpose. 

I have used this text a number of times and yes, the students do find it more challenging than the usual papers (they also get a bit of a surprise with Q1 which is now “explain” rather than “list”!). However, they do appreciate something that they can get their teeth into – and throw in an accidental “murder” and you have something which is fairly acceptable as a non-boring text to even the most bloodthirsty of boys. Win-win.

This “Higher Tier” paper for GCSE English Language is available here.

The picture is from the movie starring Terrence Stamp and has been put through an AI filter at fotor.com - used for educational and illustrative purposes only.

Platycerium - A Pretty Peculiar Plant

Image Credit Flickr User Bellingen1

Platycerium – even the name sounds odd.  Mostly referred to as Staghorn or Elkhorn ferns, this genus of fern is, to say the very least, unusual looking.  Yet they are fascinating to look at because their fronds are something else, quite unique.  To look at a platycerium is to look back in time millions of years.

Image Credit Flickr User tanetahi

They are found on several continents, South America, Africa, Asia as well as Australasia and unsurprisingly thrive in tropical and temperate climates.   They really aren’t your average fern at all.

I am not there

Inspired by the poignant poem "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep," attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye or Clare Harner, Fran Guerrero has created a stunning piece of animation that beautifully captures the emotional depth of the poem.

The animation brings the poem’s themes of love, loss, and transcendence to life. Guerrero’s storytelling is complemented by expressive illustrations and fluid animation, enhancing the poem’s comforting message that life continues even after death. The delicate music ties it all together, making the experience truly moving.

This combination of story, art, animation, and music creates an immersive tribute to the enduring power of love and memory.

Kayak

This very funny animated short features possibly the most irresponsible father in the world – so you will have to suspend your disbelief (hey, it’s an animation, that’s normal).  When in need of something to do with his infant child to pass the day, this dad decides that kayaking would be a marvellous idea.  Chaos ensues – and when you add an eagle in to the mix, then anything could happen.  This was made by a group of very talented French students from Ecole des Nouvelles Images as their graduation work – simply fantastic!

A Brief Disagreement

 

We have featured animations by Steve Cutts on Kuriositas any number of times… so here’s another one just for good measure.  If you know his work, you will know that Coutts doesn’t exactly hold the human race in what you might call massively high regard.  This animation – A Brief Disagreement – charts our history in a way that could seen as somewhat, erm, bleak to say the least.  However, as usual, it’s immensely entertaining and something to watch while we wait for the inevitable.

Tsunami Girl

 

In February 2010, on the remote Chilean island of Juan Fernández, a 12-year-old girl named Martina became an unexpected hero. While the town slept, Martina felt a tremor that signaled an approaching tsunami. Acting quickly, she alerted everyone, saving countless lives. This true story is told through Martina's eyes, capturing the bravery of one girl in the face of disaster.

Discover the full story and creative team behind this powerful tale:
Original Idea: Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch
Directors: Leo Campasso, Antonio Balseiro, Carlos Balseiro

Learn more about the project: Aura Studio, Pacifico, Simbiosis

Impossible Journey

 

Impossible Journey is an animated short film that tackles the pressing issue of maternal healthcare in the U.S. Created by a predominantly female team, the film took over a year to complete, with production spanning Brazil and NYC. 

Each frame was carefully printed and hand-painted to reflect the protagonist's layered experiences. Every element of the animation carries metaphorical significance, mirroring the thoughtful construction of the entire project.

Kajabi Release New Data Revealing How Much Creators Could Really Make

 

Kajabi, the leading platform for creator-driven commerce, had proudly unveiled a refreshed brand identity, an expanded suite of digital products, and a powerful new campaign — The Reality of the Creator Economy — all designed to empower creators to take control of their financial future and build businesses on their own terms.  It certainly rings a lot of bells with me because creators often get huge amounts of views and end up receiving very little money in return.  The new data shows just how much money creators could make - and how.

If you watch the video above, featuring Chef Boy Lee you will get a comedic (but as a metaphor, pretty honest) creator's view of how things can seem to conspire against you - but how there is also a solution too with the help of Kajabi.

If you haven't heard of Kajabi, it was established in 2010 and is based in Newport Beach, California. It is the leading platform for creator commerce, empowering individuals to transform their knowledge, skills, and expertise into sustainable online businesses. Kajabi’s all-in-one platform provides creators with a comprehensive ecosystem to build, market, and sell digital products, such as communities, online courses, newsletters, live coaching, and more. Trusted by tens of thousands of creators and entrepreneurs, Kajabi serves as the foundation of their businesses, collectively generating over $8 billion in revenue from more than 85 million customers worldwide.

Ahad Khan, the CEO of Kajabi here introduces Enes Yilmazer, to further explain the reality of social platforms, starting with quite a stark statistic.

 

The truth of the matter is that in 2023, social platforms made nine times more than they paid out to creators, revealing a glaring imbalance in the creator economy. Nearly 50% of creators earn less than $10,000 a year, and almost a quarter of them work for over two years before making their first money which is more than 730 days without any kind of revenue coming in. On average, a single TikTok view is worth just $0.00004, a mere fraction of a cent. With 200 million creators on these platforms, none of them actually own their channels - and the channel could disappear overnight at the whim of the real owner - further emphasizing the challenges creators face in gaining true control and financial independence.

Kajabi has just reinvented its brand design to reflect the distinctive and evolving journey creators undertake in pursuing their dreams. The refreshed identity features a new logo, bold colours, dynamic typography, and a confident brand voice, enhanced by motion elements that capture the relentless determination and continuous progress of an entrepreneur's vision, resilience, and drive for success. You can read more about the rebrand and how you as a creator might gain from joining up with Kajabi here.

Kajabi is also introducing several exciting new digital products designed to help new creators start earning money quickly, while also enabling established creators to diversify, innovate, and grow their income streams. Take a look at these new offerings using the link above and see how they can support your creative journey and business success.