Lovely weird. Written by a true weirdo that isn't trying, but just is. Love the books within the books. Terrifying documentary in the dsytophic affairLovely weird. Written by a true weirdo that isn't trying, but just is. Love the books within the books. Terrifying documentary in the dsytophic affairs today. Worker-mothers of the world unite! Will sit with this story for a while....more
Great on sentence by sentence level. Smiley's personal life is the prototype of the wounded romantic -- but he's in a very cold calculating world. AndGreat on sentence by sentence level. Smiley's personal life is the prototype of the wounded romantic -- but he's in a very cold calculating world. And the cold war ideology is interesting -- seen from a different world now with its own competing world views....more
Really entertaining thriller with Sorondo's distinctive voice. Love the pacey slipping back and forth in time and between characters. Alex has it. TheReally entertaining thriller with Sorondo's distinctive voice. Love the pacey slipping back and forth in time and between characters. Alex has it. The story telling gift....more
Five stars, but the last part of the epilogue is brutal in that hard shift to philosophical inward turning. Discourse on the nature of history writingFive stars, but the last part of the epilogue is brutal in that hard shift to philosophical inward turning. Discourse on the nature of history writing and even some causation was fine throughout the book, but the hard-core straight philosophy at the end was a challenge to get through. Screw you Tolstoy! I did not DNF at the very, very end of your brilliant historical meta-history story of the invasion of the French into Russia. I read every word and clicked on each tedious link to the translation of the French in this word translated from Russian. It was a surprising book and an immersive one. Knock another milestone off my bookworm bucket list....more
The ending dropped this charming sexy romp down for me, but loved it mostly for its fun up to that point. The desire for sequels might have diluted thThe ending dropped this charming sexy romp down for me, but loved it mostly for its fun up to that point. The desire for sequels might have diluted the finale. Will have to read on to see if I'm right... ...more
I'm (a) so late to review this book, I finished it a while ago and (b) so late to the party of comfort-fantasy! This was a god-send after whatever misI'm (a) so late to review this book, I finished it a while ago and (b) so late to the party of comfort-fantasy! This was a god-send after whatever miserable book I read before this. I loved the low stakes, I loved the attention to detail in building a coffee-house. Very much a grand-child to Terry Pratchett's fantasy work, but so enjoyable and relaxed and I loved all the characters. I will come back to this world for more comfort when I need it. Not smarmy!...more
I really love Shardlake, and I am going to miss him. I'm aware there is one more book in the series (the author having passed away since I read the laI really love Shardlake, and I am going to miss him. I'm aware there is one more book in the series (the author having passed away since I read the last one). Perhaps it is with that knowledge I wonder if this should have been the last book. The end of the novel marks the passing of an era. Should Shardlake just have retired here?
I so enjoy having Shardlake's ant-level view of all the ruthless, powerful men (and a few women) stomping around Tudor England, and just praying (in a non-god sort of way) that he and his don't get flattened in the process. We have different giants rampaging around today: men, women, corporations, and governments which are supposed to represent us. We have far more in common with Shardlake than is comfortable, but it is a comfort to read about his intelligence, compassion, and perseverance 鈥� also his very humanizing failings....more
This was a tough slog. Story after story of the colonial experience in India told by an insider who very much thought that Indians were inferior, irraThis was a tough slog. Story after story of the colonial experience in India told by an insider who very much thought that Indians were inferior, irrational children that needed to be ruled by their betters (the English!) Kipling takes time to be xenophobic to the Irish, Germans and various other non-English folk. Disturbingly it is the odd genre story that really works, it allows the racism to go down smooth. He is a great writer, but it was super hard to go through story after story where he uses that power to express ideas that should be left in the dust bin.
Part of my 1901 project, where I'm reading books from 1890-1910 around my grandfather's birth in 1901. In that sense this book was perfect for me and I don't regret it. That said, I don't think I'll read more of his short story collections set in colonial India.... except for the Jungle Book works (see my comment on genre writing earlier!)...more
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