Alex Norton
Constantly ready to be disappointed but instead, except for the twaddle of the sex scene, the novel stuck together very nicely. Believable scenarios, good pacing, kept me going with no problem. If you like your dystopian novel with a “yeah, I can really see that happening” then this is for you, but it comes along with a fair bit of violence and not many avenues to Hollywood endings.
The sequal was like riding a sine wave that bottomed out with some very dry moments followed by brilliant ideas and exposition. Didn't quite capture the originality of the first novel but , again, was ingenious in parts and quite unique.
Jus the finished and shook my head, started with so much promise. OK so folding a paper in two is has been over used in sci-fi to explain worm holes but I was eager to know where the book would lead me. In the end I was left with a feeling that it didn't truly explore any of the ideas that came up.Granted not every one can be Neal Stephenson but he seemed in a hurry to finish off the book as of on a deadline.
At this point Abercrombie will have to write a real clanger to not get five stars from me. This one is a standalone within a known universe, however you do not need to read the others to enjoy (or hate) this one. All the usual Abercrombie moral obfuscations, wonderful characterizations, and fair amount of blood and guts are present. Do yourself a favour and listed to Steve Pacey's audio version. You will be asking the dog if he wants to go out for yet another walk...
Comfortable “liked it”. I appreciated the setting and historical backdrop/research. Many characters are interesting, and it is a solid debut novel. I cant quite put my finger on why not 4*. I will line up #2 and might revisit this one later :-)
Having just watched Alan and Miriam Margolyes go around Scotland and talk about his father, and then , straight after, seeking out the episode of “Who Do you think” It was a natural progression for me to pick up this slice of memoir. I say “slice” because this memoir concentrates very much on his relationship with his father and then mirrors it by investigating her mother's lack of relationship (for reasons that will become clear) with hers. In all cases this a a heartfelt book that does not come across as contrived or agrandised. In Audiobook format it was a gem.
Having just collapsed off the Baroque Cycle is it purely masochistic of me in thinking that this tale was probably more appropriate for a trilogy? Each section leaves you wanting more, a bit more depth, a bit more options explored, a few less strings left dangling. There were so many aspects of the plot that were introduced and then left unexplored, which is not necessarily a negative thing but, as a new Stephenson fan, I would have welcomed (or at least have been desensitized) to a few extra thousand pages...
There were so many elements to like in this novel and i know i enjoyed it while reading it. But the scary thing, in thinking back a month after the fact is how little i remember of it. The irony is not lost on me.
Consistent mix of good plot in a fascinatingly described historical context. I am really enjoying this series.
A good debut that tends to be superficial in parts however I strongly suspect that these will get better as the series progresses so will put #2 on my wtr list.
As usual Scalzi is good with the premise (like Dispatcher) and sharp with dialog. Plus point for having me completely fooled on the gender of the protagonist.
Interesting book. The “old English” did not scare me. Simon Vance's narrating makes it easy to understand and puts you in context. My issue was really the fact that ireally did not care for the main protagonist, who tries to portray himself as a “post-Norman” partisan but is really just a vengeful thug that does not evolve.
I had started the paper-book version twice but never got into the rhythm. I was, however, intrigued enough to get the audible version, and then the book opened up and enveloped me completely (probably to the point that i was speaking Jamaican in my head...). The patois on paper had me rushing to find out what it meant. Hearing it, instead, did not afford you the time and thus you just understood the context, absorbed it, and continued surfing the wave of the prose. And wave it is. James' prose is wonderful, the characters are rich, the story convoluted enough to keep you on your toes but ultimately not that consequential that , if you miss a connection, it makes much of a difference to the ride itself. Definitely one of the best books i read this year.
I am so glad many say this is not Mitchell's best as I think it was a great read and I am looking forward to his others. Mitchell is a superior writer, and I am very comfortable with the Novella format so I was not put off by the format. In fact it helped in the reading of the whole as, judging by this book, Mitchell is great at building and defining characters, and maybe a bit less so at the “esoteric” action sections. I loved many of the characters, Crispin's boorishness, and I swear I shared a house in Oxford with a young Hugo Lamb. Even the last chapter which, halfway through, I thought was totally surplus to requirements, ended up being just perfect.
This is so beautifully Japanese. Structure is so simple and everything is on the surface. In fact we know who did it half way through the book. But like with his other books Higashino is a master at peeling away layers and probing deep into places most of his characters are scared of going. I really wish more of his books were translated. I think he is up there with the best whodunnit authors
This kept gravitating between liking it (3) and really liking it (4). I loved the sino-centric point of view, the context of the cultural revolution, I loved the attention to the science, the concept of the three body world. However I really had a problem with the very very weak motivation that would drive a whole section of the Human population to support blindly the alien cause.
Also there is another narrative problem that I have
{SPOLER ALERT]
How do the Earth characters know about the existence, now on earth, of the Sophons? That kind of information would never have been sent because the whole point was conceeling the existance of the sophons in the first place.
Maybe I missed that part but it seems critical to the narrative.
On the whole, however I do look forward to the second part.
I'm not an expert of what makes a great Russian novel but Benioff has fun in ticking, with success, a lot of the boxes - (B)Romance, War, Death, Crime, Punishment, large landscapes & small details, alcohol, unappetizing food, chess, literature and all in a very un-Russian svelte 250 pages.
Good and solid series. Never elevates to Great SciFi and is stronger in the Fantasy and adventure role but the transparency in the writing style works in the book's favour making it entertaining and drawing you through the plot.
If you picked this book it is because you were intrigued by the premise, maybe because you like gentle British fiction that explores more of the rest of the population rather than the full British stereotypes. You probaly like [a:Alan Bennett 11781 Alan Bennett http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1234747177p2/11781.jpg] and as the book begins i found myself thinking Alan Bennett could have written this so much better. But I am so glad a marched on with Harold because when he hits his stride so does the writing, the characters flesh out. From a very shaky start and logic to his journey the flaws and thoughts start to be revealed and as the journey progresses you start to will Harold on instead of slapping him around for being such a dunce.The conclusion is as it should be, the trip ends up being without dramatic denouement but I think it would have been disappointing if there was one. Started two stars but i ended up really liking this book
Was always on the edge of hiding such a wonderful topic and story behind a subplot of coping with mourning. But the main story, and the interesting parallelisms with TH White shine through. It is a short enough book to soak up quickly and, if you love animals it does a great job in highlighting the Hawk's nature and shunning from anthropomorphizing them.
This is a long time re-read, having read it at the time of the BBC series. It is troublesome if you want to keep track of the vast array of characters mentioned by Claudius, but if, after a cursory look at the many genealogical trees on the web, you just abandon hope of making sense of all the details it is simply very instructive recreation of a fascinating historical period. What I do not know is if, Graves' interpretation has stood the test of time.
A re-read after many many years and I am so glad I did. It is such a solidly constructed 2-view universe.
Light and satisfyingly geeky. Push on through the first quarter and resist your urge the throw the book at the wall at Martins character. He does settle in and learn. Given how short it is I will give the second one a go.
I kept having to remind myself that this was written in 1968. Has not only not aged but seems more current than ever. If anything frustratingly short