Review A Book

Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor

Hadn't had much time to read and it created abit of a funk in me. But I did finally finish my third book written by Taylor and will say it was one of the kinkier ghost stories I've read. Slow starting and will say it quite likely one of the worst predictable ones I have read and concerned a cottage with a history of generational mysteries and untimely deaths.

Matheson wrote the greatest paranormal investigative ghost stories of all time in Hell House with a hair-raising climax that goes all balls out by the end (which is completely absent from the film adaptation directed by John Hough btw). Michael McDowell wrote some of the finest modern ghost stories incorporating geography and elements along with a smashing dash of Southern Gothic eccentricity.


But by the finish of this novel, the narrative becomes an improvisational comedy troupe where characters appear on stage and disappear off stage at a moments notice and with a most logic jarring lengthy intervals and injuries come via a most lethal perplexing convenience. Reader beware, keep one self away from suspect knitting needles, duck ballestic roof tiles, and flee from dressers the size of a sedan please. How these characters teleport at five-ten paces apart from another is beyond me.

1 out of 5

I'll read the next three at a later date.

I would also like to add that "Cannery Row" contained one of the funniest sentences I've ever read, I had to put the book down and lost my page because I was laughing so hard. Chapter 32 beings with

Quote:

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Doc awakened very slowly and clumsily like a fat man getting out of a swimming pool.

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I'm not exactly sure why that sentence made me laugh so hard, I just know I absolutely love it.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Interesting mystery novel, definitely an influence of those Italian sleazy giallo films and books so predominate during the 70s. However the novel becomes quite monotous, the dialogue can get dry, and that failed to develop a proper level of suspense and atmosphere. And most of all, for the whole duration of this terrifying crisis the characters had a tendency to take everything in stride (yes, they were amoral people but still), no hysterics or desperation a la no realism. In a event such as this, something has to give!

I, the reader, could hardly wait anticipating every move perpetuated by the killer.

Mixed thoughts on the book, liked conclusion that reveals the culprit in a rather tricky plot and offers more on the hows and whys. Still, I can't help dwelling on the fact this probably isn't one of Christie's more intricate or difficult to solve mysteries. I was not blown away by it but appreciative.

4/5

I just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I started it Saturday at 4:00 pm and finished it by Sunday at 1:00 pm. I literally couldn't put the book down. It was a hauntingly beautiful novel that I'll never forget. The person who told me about the book did not recommend it. She couldn't get past the fact that the destruction is never explained. I tried to tell her that there must be a reason for this, probably because the destruction of the earth as we know it isn't the point of the story, but she just couldn't get past it. It didn't bother me at all. I was far too worried about where the next meal was coming from, or whether they would survive the night, to care about how things became that way. I was so moved by their love for each other, their bond, I was constantly worried about the mental and physical health of the boy, that the hows and whys of the situation were irrelevant. I actually sobbed at the end. Books never make me cry. And allthough I felt sad at the end I also felt hope. I do feel emotionally drained after reading the novel.

Courtny

The Chemistry Of Death by Simon Beckett

For a debut novel i must say this book was fantastic and would highly recommend it to any crime/thriller fans, especially those who like authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs and Karin Slaughter

In a nutshell the story is about an ex forensic anthropologist who leaves London to work as a GP in a small village in Norfolk. Then when women start to disappear and get brutally murdered in his village he finds himself helping the police out with their enquiries.

I loved reading about the whole forensics side to an investigation and the attention to detail in this book is incredible. Also, the author does a great job of leading you off track, I was convinced i'd guessed who'd 'done it' but i was completely wrong lol!

I just finished William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!"...and I'm floored. It was the first novel by Faulkner that I read and at times it was pretty tough to keep concentrated (and I certainly missed a lot of small details and subtleties)...but Dear Lord, this has to be one of the greatest novels ever written. The setting, the characters, the twists and turns, the different narrators...the sheer atmosphere is overwhelming. I think I have never read a book before that was as intense as this one. Before, the expression "Southern Gothic" was just another term for me - now it's the image of the rotten Sutpen mansion in the midst of the swamps on one of those hot summer evenings.

I'm not sure how Faulkner's other novels compare to this. As a matter of fact, I chose this one to begin with because I found its title so intriguing.

As for his style: After the initial shock of the first chapter I think you get used to it pretty fast. After a while, you don't really look for seperate sentences, anyway. It all becomes one continous flow of images and sounds. Almost the same as it's in the case of all the neologisms in Clockwork Orange. Before you realize it, you almost begin to use "horrorshow" in your everyday language ;)

It's probably most important to realize that you are not meant to understand everything from the beginning, because things will unfold later on. I guess this might be the main reason why people quit this book after the first chapter or so.

The being said, I can't wait to lay my hands on his other major works :)

Eldest, sequel to Eragon.

I liked this book a whole lot better than Eragon. It builds up on the story, brings Roran's POV into the book, and has a couple of twists and turns. Without too much happening, Galbatorix (the villain of the piece who wants to enslave everyone) sends troops to attack the main rebellion left against him. Eragon and Saphira his dragon lend their aid but are nearly floored by a new familiar protagonist who lets them go.

4/5

Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg

Not going to waste too much time on this one, only say that the film Angel Heart is far more shocking, far more economized and tighter (makes a big difference here), and has a far more dramatic, thrilling, and ultimately horrific ending (the novel is too comic book). Hjortsberg adapted his own book into the screenplay. If you seen the film don't bother reading this or you'll find yourself most assuredly bored because the former follows it very closely. Graded mostly for style and any greatness this book could have further achieved is lost in the shadows of the film.

2.5/5

I'm going to review two books to make me feel special! I also read two books, so that's another reason.
Book one:

The Lost Cosmonaut by Daniel Kalder. This is an anti-tourist book. The intention is to go to undesirable places, have an unpleasant time and more or less, have a bad vacation. Kalder goes to several republics in Russia, all of which have hard names to remember and even harder names to write, so I'm not going to bother. The book is 'snippets' of very short adventures, descriptions, dreams, and some of them are entertaining because the things he writes about are not something that would be expected from a travel book.

The major downside to Kalder's book is that it is terrible uneven; he eats at McDonalds (it's everywere!) and then talks philosophy and it makes little sense, a 'jolt' to the reader. He insults a Russian and then makes some Nietzsche-inspired point about being insignificant in the scope of the world-- again , making little sense. The purpose of his book seems to be 'tagged on', but it could have been a good book.

2.5/5

Book Two.

The Third Policeman by Flann O'brien (a pseudonym)

This book was too funny. I was laughing out loud and had many people give me queer looks in the library. I would ruin the book if I explained it in full, but the best part is that the author manipulates the reader - lengthy footnotes, ridiculously hard words used on purpose, non sequiters that pull the reader in to a completely absurd world. Definetly recommended.

4.5/5

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert

I just spent a long Bank Holiday weekend lazing in my garden (or conservatory when it rained) reading this dark and intriguing mystery novel (with a bit of magic and mysticism thrown in to boot). The author very boldly chooses the present day as her setting, with the novel starting out as a cyberspace thriller but progressing into tale of witchcraft, psychic powers, love and death. The characters are wonderful - the protagonist Gabriel Blackstone is a flawed but brilliant private investigator asked to find the truth behind the disappearance of his ex-lover's stepson, meeting the mysterious Monk sisters in doing so. Both are highly brilliant and intelligent women in very different ways - and it's really pleasing for me to find two strong female characters. Too many books, especially in the mystic/fantasy genre, have no female characters of any substance or who are convincing, so to create two distinct ones is a real treat.

The mystery within is a gripping one, with a nice whodunnit setup and an ongoing romantic subplot (for all his skills, Gabriel is unable to work out which sister is in love with him). And the mystic concepts are really well explained and researched - the author has done her homework and creates a really engrossing world inside the book. I really liked the book, although the start left me sceptical by the end I was engrossed and the ending (without giving away too much!) is heartbreaking but fitting at the same time. A highly recommended book, especially for anyone who is trying to get in touch with their mystic or spiritual side.

The Collector - John Fowles
Sparse literature style is now rehabilitated in my eyes after I have read this work of Fowles. Screaming, incisive lines - even every exclamation is like a new story to be unfolded...Caliban is undoubtedly a deranged specimen, but unconventional in his "pursuits"...
Sociopathy loses its remote features and becomes terribly realistic and close...Moreover it is not simply defined, it is given power and life...
Mind-altering...

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Whew, one of the funniest books I have ever read since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a satirical presentation of war and the 20th Century seen through the cracked lenses of mad wit and irony. I'll not witness ramblings of the Three Musketeers in a funnier light. I can understand why this book is favorite book of many to re-visit.

5/5

Albert Camus, The Stranger


Whether you agree with Camus' ideas or not, this novel should be read.

Some novels are read because they're entertaining. They hold our interest with an exciting plot, lovable characters, or a witty narration. I wouldn't put this novel in that class. It's characters are not really likable--they're not really even knowable. The narration is the plain, unadorned prose of the main character himself. But, where this novel lacks excitement, it redeems itself through its extreme significance and relevance to our lives. It approaches a constantly recurring debate, and provides insight into the inscrutable workings of consciousness. Camus may not have been an entertainer, but he had a connection to humanity greater than anyone around him. The Stranger is a hunt for genuine humanity in a society that has given up any claim to life.

Meursault, a middle-class Algerian, commits a random murder in this novel by Camus. At the trial, Meursault is asked the question that the readers must have on their mind: why did he do it? Meursault blurts out, "it was because of the sun". He believes that random circumstances drew him to the beach with a loaded revolver, and that he chose to commit murder without any other influence but his own will. This response baffles the court, and they throw it out as impossible. The lawyers and the judge try to prove that he committed murder because he was either grief-stricken over his mother's death or an inherently evil person. The court wants to believe that action are prompted by ideas like love, morality, and other-worldly faith. They refuse to accept that Meursault killed the stranger on the beach because he simply made a choice in the circumstances at that time. And, Meursault refuses to believe that the large over-arching ideas that the court holds should affect a person's action. He argues that those around him have given up their lives by believing that their actions are controlled by ideas. This is the basic human conflict that separate the characters in this novel. No matter what you think of Meursault at the end of the novel, I think people should read this novel. They have to take part in this discussion, or a large part of their life will go unnoticed.

Cruising in Serafin, was a great book about a young couple back in the late 60s who built and sailed their own 24 foot cutter down the coast of California, through the Panamá Canal, up the East Coast and ultimately across to England.

I had been very interested in taking my family cruising in our own boat, until other circumstances changed the course of things, at least for now. But these two folks, Lyn and Larry Pardey, seem to have just the right mix of humility, frugality and adventurousness to make the story really attractive to me. Lyn actually wrote the book, and Larry, at least in the beginning, was more of a sailor. The things that seemed important to this couple really appealed to me: they weren't bragging or boastful, they did this on a shoestring budget, often, having to stop places to pick up on work to build up their funds to support their travel. For example, their boat was completely lit by kerosene lanterns and had no motor at all -- in the ocean!

This couple continues to sail and write today, in fact, they have a meager web site:http://www.landlpardey.com/Where/Where_Now.html



I really enjoyed the book, it made me happy and sad.

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

Great Book, interesting insight into the behavior and thoughts of how and why the murders occurred.

4.375/5