Brig Berthold
The first story was brilliant. I still can not stop contemplating it.
The others, less so. I found myself feeling tremendous melancholy throughout most of these stories. An emotional resonance, I'm sure, was altogether intentional.
So. Nailed it.
This was incredible. Now I have to re-read Career of Evil to see whether this is my favorite.
Don't sleep on this. Among the best short stories I've ever experienced.
This is a quirky, captivating, completely charming story. The pacing is excellent. The words flow beautifully. Nuggets of life wisdom dominate but aren't overstated. The writing is superb and accessible. The characters are loveable and complex in spite of the abbreviated form. The narrative is unpredictable. What more could you want?
If you give yourself up to the story, it'll take you away. If you're ultra critical, you'll ruin the experience for yourself.
Sensitivity warnings for anyone interested. The racism and homophobia were probably suitable for the LA 50's underworld but it was pretty intense for a 2023 reading.
The conclusion was, perhaps, not as tightly satisfying as the film. But the depth and complexity of the intrigue in the novel were so much more satisfying.
The writing style took a second to get into but then it flowed at a clipped, deliberate pace that made a thrilling page-turner. I will say I prefer Ellroy's previous and less machine-gun style prose.
I'm not buying it! Without revealing anything, I'll say first that the “punchline” felt shallow. But the real issue was, at one point, I noticed an incredibly overt reference to another extremely popular mystery. Then the author, through dialog, wove the name of that mystery into the narrative as though admitting the blatant derivation forgave them. That just felt icky and cheap.
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Just a few pacing issues that, honestly, I think have more to do with me than the book. This was fantastic and I'm still recovering.
I will need to run through this again in order to fully appreciate the layers of nuance contained in each message. I enjoyed the lessons, appreciate the writing, and want to ensure I fully capture what it has to offer.
Altogether, it was well worth my time.
I love good journalism. It's especially good when punctuated by personal experiences. This is what is called “participation journalism” and it's my favorite technique.
The info in this book is as quality as it is fascinating. Great for empathy. Great for culture. Great for personal inquisitive sessions.
There are some really good things about this little story but, I'm afraid, most of it just wasn't that entertaining. I'm going to chalk it up to being desensitized by more modern stories.
Believe it or not, this was above average writing, especially given the distinctly “mass market” target audience.
Against the monotony, beaurocracy, and often forlorn nature of military life is a first person view of love and the human condition. Albeit a small view, the emotions we readers explore are vivid, even to our chagrin. Empathetic readers will find appreciation for the characters, while readers sympathetic to John and Savannah will identify.
Sparks' ability to portray the life of an active duty Army soldier was admirable and decidedly more accurate than most authors. He avoids much of the common pitfalls, save for his one-time use of the term “boot camp” as opposed to “basic training.”
The entire story is written from John's perspective and I had not expected that from a romance novel.
Finally, I wish Sparks had not used the word “for” in the classical way. Such as: It bothered me, for I found myself tripping over the unnecessary stylisation.
Utterly hopeless was my feeling as the ambient jubilation slides back into normalcy. That is how this book ended, and how it made me feel. While politically brilliant in its explanation of potential dangers facing modern governments, I will hold to my three star rating.
How often does the author reveal the end and still keep you engaged?
Seriously, early in the narrative, the reader is told how the story will end. Then, despite knowing better, we grind our teeth right to the finish.
Complex, but accessible. Detailed, while economical. Righteous fun, though ultimately dark and morose. It's no wonder this is heralded as one of the best apt-fiction novels available. Intelligence collection, counterintelligence, investigation, espionage, assassination plots... what more do you want?