Saturday, 02 May 2009

More 10 Word Book Reviews....

Dreams from my father - Barack Obama
Surprisingly candid, moving memoir. Pity Brendan left it at hostel.

L:4

Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling
Let’s us pretend Harry not gone from lives. Otherwise average.
L: 3 B: 1.5

Dubliners - James Joyce
Poignant, real, unforgiving. Collection as whole stronger than individual stories.
B: 3 L: Aborted after two stories.

Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Graham
Jolly good read. That dastardly old toad. The original hobbits.
L: 4

Peter Pan - JM Barrie
Brilliant satire. Surprised at manipulative Peter, pitiful Hook, annoying Wendy.
L: 5 B: 4.5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - RL Stevenson
Great, scary and uncomfortable story, tediously written.
L: 4 B: 2.5

Lonesome Traveller - Jack Kerouac
Wonderful, sad stories with hope-filled insights. Great companion.
B: 4

The Gathering - Anne Enright
Tremendous and devastating images, but suggest halve length, double plot.
L: 3 B: 2.5

Freakonomics - S Levitt and S Dubner
Interesting analysis, doesn’t recognise own weaknesses and ideological bias.
L: 3.5 B: 3.5

The Initimable Jeeves - PG Wodehouse
British idle rich stories always enjoyable. Off with their heads.
B: 3.5

Swann’s Way - Marcel Proust
Beautiful writing but painfully tedious. Insights drummed in to detriment.
B: 3.5

The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Massive achievement for such a simple story. Beautiful, sad, engaging.
L: 5 B: 4

Signet Book of American Essays
Fascinating, unusual collection across span of American thinking.
L: 4 B: 4

Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Brilliant, rollicking story of French revolution. Pity Lucie so painful.
L: 4.5 B: 4

Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
Devastating portrait of mental illness and acceptance of aristocratic expectations.
L: 4 B: 4

The Alchemist - Paolo Coelho
Incoherent mish-mash of myths. Message = value yourself, value material wealth.
B: 0.5 L: Didn’t read. B no one to blame but himself.

Breath - Tim Winton
Hooray for Tim! Lyrical, evocative description. Sad, local story.
L: 4 B: 4

Why I Write - George Orwell
Didn’t realise he was so cantankerous, racist and socialist. Fun.
B: 3

Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Terrible irredeemable characters. Why did we love it so much?
L: 4.5, B: 4

Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky
Severely indicts French selfishness and sympathetic to German soldiers. Heartbreaking.
L: 3 B: 3