Adam Hinchliffe

Funny book, a little muddled with too many story threads

I didn't like any of the characters :/

Book #8 of 2020
3 out of 5 stars
Console wars – By Blake J. Harris
Console wars is a book that fills a gap in the market, it tells how the video game company Sega went from the little known underdog to taking 50% of the market and providing a true competitor to Nintendo in the 90s. The book itself is flawed but enjoyable, one major flaw I noticed was that the book varies between a non-fiction account which tells the facts of the two businesses and how they worked to defeat one another (the best parts of the book) and Blake J. Harris' obsession to tell the story as if it were a film treatment.
The film treatment side of the book involves an abundance of clichés, both in the descriptions and the dialogue. The dialogue itself is the most dubious part of the book and I think the average reader with an ear for authentic dialogue will be aware of this.

However despite the books flaws I did find it an interesting and enjoyable read. Currently I believe this is the only book available on the subject and so the books flaws may be forgiven by many, at least for now.

Richard Papen has grown up in a difficult family and decides to move away to study at Hampden College. He wishes to continue with his previous Greek and classical studies, however, there is only one class studying this at his new college. This is where he meets his charismatic teacher and his new classmates, an eccentric group of misfits who invite him into a world where the lines of morality begin to blur.

I found this book utterly compelling, I was intrigued from the first page. Although this is a long book, I felt the story continued to deepen throughout. The writing is superb and although I wouldn't describe these characters as likeable they are truly fascinating and I always looked forward to finding out more about them and the unravelling events of this excellent story.

“Sideways” for foodies.