Having read A Passage to India and A Room with a View, I thought it time to pick up some more E M Forster and what a surprise this story was. I was noHaving read A Passage to India and A Room with a View, I thought it time to pick up some more E M Forster and what a surprise this story was. I was not expecting this from Forster.
The story rings that of an early H G Wells or Jules Verne Science Fiction Book. Set in the distant future, humanity appears to have destroyed the Earth and gone underground. They live in tunnels ruled by The Machine. Who made the machine? That is consigned to history.
No one questions the machine until someone dares to go outside, to see the earth. In doing so creates a chain reaction of its own making. It creates free thought, religion, but, has humanity lost its ability to thing, to live for itself and ultimately adapt to move away from The Machine?...more
Books like this remind me why I have a disdain for modern authors. HOWEVER in all fairness this book was better than Robert Harris� “Conclave�.
This boBooks like this remind me why I have a disdain for modern authors. HOWEVER in all fairness this book was better than Robert Harris� “Conclave�.
This book was “allegedly� set in Vienna, except for one reference to a street which is actually in Vienna, the author clearly shows NO CLEAR KNOWLEDGE of the city. Besides this street reference there is no mention of anything to do with the city. She could have mentioned any city around the world but with the lack of references, cafes, parks, a museum even it would work.
Then we look at the time period and language used in the book. It didn’t match up or work. Again, did the author do any research on this? Based on this book NO.
Let’s see about the plot like, to paraphrase the book and time period …�. WTF, if you believe people spoke like this in 1877/78 you’ll believe anything. Unlike Robert Harris Conclave there actually was a plausible plot. An American coming from the Department of the Treasury came to Austria to track down the use of illegal money. The sub plot is a love story. However, as the story progresses the Treasury/ US Money plot completely disappears and we end up in some very bad Mills and Boon sappy, crap and oddly graphic “Love Story�.
As this love story progresses the story begins to focus on Maria the young hotel owner trying to save her hotel. She gets a chance to host a ball that will save her hotel. New plot twist, someone is trying to kill Maria and sabotage the hotel. Her love interest the charming chizled American who is the only one that can save the day swings into life saving mode.
The book becomes an odd twist of assignations ploys to stop an unimportant ball and secret police killing people. In the end you just give up following the plot. None of the story lines successfully intertwined with each other and a poor ending. What was predictable about this story was the lov3 interest, only an American could save the damsel in distress and the day itself.
What I will also say is the sentence structure. BY GOD, IT’S TERRIBLE. How can anyone think it is ok to write a sentence with such poor grammar structure and get away with it. The author blatantly writes a sentence. Believing that is.
Here we have a compilation of PG Wodehouse “Jeeves and Wooster� Books. Wooster gets into his usual trouble requiring Jeeves� assistance to get out of Here we have a compilation of PG Wodehouse “Jeeves and Wooster� Books. Wooster gets into his usual trouble requiring Jeeves� assistance to get out of trouble. If you enjoy Jeeves and Wooster, you’ll enjoy these books....more
Another Wodehouse Book successfully completed. Here we have another Jeeves and Wooster book. Wooster gets up to his usual shenanigans and requires JeeAnother Wodehouse Book successfully completed. Here we have another Jeeves and Wooster book. Wooster gets up to his usual shenanigans and requires Jeeves� assistance. Yet again love is a central theme here. Wooster seems to be in love, falling in love or proposed to nearly In every single book.
Although this was a fun book to read, this was your typical Jeeves and Wooster Book. There was nothing new, special, unique or stand alone in this book. For me there was nothing to overly single it out compared to other PG Wodehouse book, hence the 2 Star Rating....more
Here we have the fourth instalment by Louise Penny. Knowing there is a series of books and not knowing what happens next does make these books more enHere we have the fourth instalment by Louise Penny. Knowing there is a series of books and not knowing what happens next does make these books more enjoyable. Here we have Gamache and his wife on holiday. They bump into old friends Peter and Clara from 3 Pines. Then, murder happens, but who did it and why?
It was a very entertaining story, and you learn more about Gamache and his past, something you wouldn't pick up on if you read the books out of order. There were low moments in this book but it went smoothly with a good and satisfying ending.
Ultimately the major downside to this book is that you never find out the gender of Bean. ...more
Anoth Du Maurier book; well of sorts. I say this and have given this a two star rating not because it is necessarily a bad Du Maurier Book, but for twAnoth Du Maurier book; well of sorts. I say this and have given this a two star rating not because it is necessarily a bad Du Maurier Book, but for two reason 1) The ending is a let down and 2) This is NOT a full and pure Du Maurier Book. It began life as a book written by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and given to Du Maurier to finish.
This book is similar to House on the Steand. Instead of the Character literally visiting the past, we have Dr Carfax looking into the history of Bodmin andCastle D’or. Whilst researching a love story of the past it intertwines with a love story of the present. There is areal Romeo and Juliette Story here....more
Here is another fun story by PG Wodehouse. Poor Wooster has come out in hives, some bug and is told to leave London to get rest and fresh air. Above aHere is another fun story by PG Wodehouse. Poor Wooster has come out in hives, some bug and is told to leave London to get rest and fresh air. Above all he needs peace and quiet; alas, this heroes not get.
He moves out to be near his Aunt. Soon hilarity ensues around a cat, a Major with poor memory and a horse race.
I have marked this down as I feel the book wasn’t resolved fully, you don’t get to find out what the rash/ ailment was. Jeeves wasn’t much apart of the story either. It was a good book, not one of his best....more
Here we have another rather funny and humorous story by PG Wodehouse. I always find it amazing how he manages to weave his story from such a simple idHere we have another rather funny and humorous story by PG Wodehouse. I always find it amazing how he manages to weave his story from such a simple idea and thought. In this story dear old Wooster is asked for £1,000 to back a play. I do find the name Stilton Cheeseman oddly rather amusing. From this mere idea madness, mayhem and confusion takes place, even a marriage proposal too.
Here we have another Du Maurier Book similar to "Gerald: A Portrait". Where Gerald: A Portrait is a Biography to her father this is a biography to BraHere we have another Du Maurier Book similar to "Gerald: A Portrait". Where Gerald: A Portrait is a Biography to her father this is a biography to Branwell Bronte. Unfortunately, where the biography to her father was an interesting story of his life with anecdotes and you felt you read two books in one - one a biography and another an actual story. This book in comparison I found to be a flop and fell quite badly. Yes it was a biography but I found it quite boring, tedious and ended up being a drag, I just wanted the story to be over.
HOWEVER, there is a flip side to this book. I never knew the Bronte sisters had a younger brother. They had infact two younger siblings, another sister who unfortunately passed away. This story is the trials and tribulations of the younger brother, like the famous Bronte Sisters Branwell was also a writer, an author AND a painter. This book follows his trials and tribulations as a struggling author and painter. He tried many times to get recognition but failed on all sided. Much of the criticism of this works can be seen and pinpointed to the fact that his father pinpointed from a young age he could not cope in mainstream school due to being a sensitive child, today it would be epilepsy. As such he was home schooled and quite poorly too, this was reflected in the basic level of education, life experience and mental maturity.
The book chronologically follows his life moving from job to job, never raising very far and ultimately turning to addiction. It is a story of failing success and an unpromised life. Ultimately though I couldn't wait to finish this book, the 230 pages were at least 120 pages too many for me. Nonetheless if it captures your imagination for an unheard of Bronte you will give it a higher stared rating than what I ultimately did. ...more
Here are the first three books in Louise Penny’s Gamach Series. The books are definitely worth reading in order, because subtle sub plots are revealedHere are the first three books in Louise Penny’s Gamach Series. The books are definitely worth reading in order, because subtle sub plots are revealed as time goes on.
The murders in each book are all set in Three Pines. My only concern at this point is, how many more books can be made based on murders in Three Pines? Like with Miss Marple in St Mary Meade, you can only have a certain amount of murders before the whole village is dead.
Here we have Book 3 in the series. I am purposely reading the Gamach Series in order and really glad that I am.
At a Seance a woman suddenly dies of fHere we have Book 3 in the series. I am purposely reading the Gamach Series in order and really glad that I am.
At a Seance a woman suddenly dies of fright, apparently. Enter Gamach and his team, hotly in pursuit by Agent Nichol. As the story unravels, other sub plots begin to unravel too. We great to learn more about the Chief 8nspector and the Arnot Case and the politics of the Surete who have it 8n for Gamach. This whole plot unfolds which has taken three books to get to this point. If you read the books out of order you wouldn’t fully appreciate what is going on here, even with the whole Gamach/ Nichol diametric.
Here we have the harrowing story of a young African American Girl Pecola Breelove. The book is split into the four seasons and as time goes on the stoHere we have the harrowing story of a young African American Girl Pecola Breelove. The book is split into the four seasons and as time goes on the story interweaves the story of her family, and how she was shunned by the entire town.
All Pecola wanted was blue eyes to look beautiful by the others. She tried to enjoy life as best as she could, but, she was sweet and innocent, didn’t understand anything about life or the world around her, to the extent she did not know what her first period was.
An exceptionally well told story, but, at times it was quite hard to follow the plot or to see where it was going. Ultimately you feel for the young girl and the ending was perfect for this story.
Be warned, there are scenes in this book truly graphic and harrowing....more
Here we have another gripping book by James Baldwin. This story revolves around a young African American Couple, Fonny and Trish. They’re childhood frHere we have another gripping book by James Baldwin. This story revolves around a young African American Couple, Fonny and Trish. They’re childhood friends that leads to lovers and partners. A minor incident over a bag of tomatoes from a corner shop with a White Police Officer changes their life and their families forever.
The majority of books I have read on African Americans have been by White Authors (Erskine Caldwell, Elizabeth Beecher Stowe), so, it is a very one sided story. Here, Baldwin does not focus on the inevitable outcome of the tomato incident but the trauma and devastation it causes both families. He looks at the family diametric trying to help an innocent man, how to raise the money needed for a lawyer and to get to the truth....more
This is an early book by Daphne du Maurier. This book focusses on her father from childhood to old age and how he became an actor. The book looks at hThis is an early book by Daphne du Maurier. This book focusses on her father from childhood to old age and how he became an actor. The book looks at his struggles, troubles and emotions for daily living life.
It is a wonderful insight into Du Maurier's Family background. Reading this book you can see the early writing style of Du Maurier to what it finally became in Rebecca. ...more
The starred rating of this book has nothing to do with the superb writing style that is Daphne du Maurier but more for the fact it is a rehash of bookThe starred rating of this book has nothing to do with the superb writing style that is Daphne du Maurier but more for the fact it is a rehash of books she has written. This story is a carbon copy of “The Loving Spirit� and in part “The Glassblowers�, but instead of a family history of Ship Builders or Glassblowers we have Copper Miners in Cornwall.
This is the story of 5 generations of the Broderick Family in Cornwall. There was no real link between one generation and the next which you get in The Loving Spirit. There is a family feud between The Donovan’s and Brodrick’s which didn’t really lead to a satisfactory conclusion, well did in parts.
It was an ok story, a revealing ending but not one that left you overly satisfied....more
Here we have yet another Virginia Woolf Book. It is only 150 odd pages a very short quick easy read. Again you see here quite easily and very obviouslHere we have yet another Virginia Woolf Book. It is only 150 odd pages a very short quick easy read. Again you see here quite easily and very obviously what a strong feminist Virginia Woolf is, really pushing for the rights and influences of women.
Here through her art of writing she writes a story of someone look at and pondering "Why are there so few female writers, poets and authors?". She postulates that as long as a woman has money (not super rich but money to live off independently) and a room of her own she can write works to rival those of mankind. She wants to know why throughout history there have been so many women on the earth but so few notable writers?
This is definitely a very good and thought provoking book to make you think and wonder at this question like I did. Writing style was very good, but a bit laborious in parts. Writing Style I would give a 3, the subject matter an excellent and firm 4....more
Wow, just wow. Although this book is only 149 pages long you just don’t want it to end. I had pretty much settled on giving this book a 4 Star Rating Wow, just wow. Although this book is only 149 pages long you just don’t want it to end. I had pretty much settled on giving this book a 4 Star Rating until the last 10 pages or so which overwhelmingly tipped it over the edge.
In this story you have David, an American who had a brief homosexual encounter as a younger man. Such things being severely frowned upon in the US (at the time) he goes on an adventure to Paris. Well, why wouldn’t you? Here he meets Jacque and through him Giovanni. Whilst in Paris he meets a fellow American, Hella, a young woman he falls madly in love with.
This is a story of sexual encounters, finding and discovering sexuality. Also, for many people who adore to travel, the pursuit of travel is to find oneself. David is grappled with internal turmoil, looking for happiness and in part doesn’t care of the consequences of his actions.
A very riveting book that I could not put down...more
It is a shame you cannot give a book a negative rating as this deserves it. Not only is this a bad book it is perhaps the worst book ever written so mIt is a shame you cannot give a book a negative rating as this deserves it. Not only is this a bad book it is perhaps the worst book ever written so much so, not only will I say that this book makes Richard Harris the English Dan Brown, but this book is far far worst. Think of Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons and this is close to the mark.
I am not sure what possessed Harris to write a book about the election of a Pope, not the most interesting story topic, but Harris makes this subject so dull dreary and boring. Think of it Like a bad B Movie, so bad you just can’t stop watching it and this is the book version.
Did Harris have any thoughts about the priests names? Bellini after a drink, Mandorff too close to Bernie Madoff, and the Irish Priest O’Malley. Seriously? How much more stereotypical can you be? I was half waiting for a Paddy O’Rourke a Guinness drinking gambling priest to come in too.
This is a straight to movie, straight to bargain basement book. No thought whatsoever was put into it, hash out any old rubbish and hope people will buy it. People have, a movie has been made and I bet Robert Harries is laughing about the amount of money he has made on such drivel.
Ultimately, are we seriously going to believe that the Roman Catholic Church would actually allow the individual in question to be elected as Pope?...more
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