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neiljung78's reviews
293 reviews
Collected Poems (Chatto Poetry) by Norman MacCaig
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
4.0
I loved these poems.
The White Hotel by D.M. Thomas
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
4.0
Like a Buñuel film but - eventually - the violence and horror becomes more explicit and real and very unsettling (inevitably maybe given the subject matter).
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Overall I liked this and I even liked how half clunky the explanation was - that had an authentic flavour of locked room puzzles. But I wish the clues had been more evenly distributed and - and maybe this isn’t a bad thing - you think about the whole thing for one moment and it’s ridiculous! If the writing had been a little richer, it would have been much more evocative and atmospheric. And times it, in good and bad ways, reminded me of a point and click computer game.
The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Bit of this made me unspeakably anxious (a good thing) and others reminded me of Sabbath’s Theatre (also a good thing).
Moonfleet by John Meade Falkner
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I wanted an adventure and that’s what I got, with atmosphere and moments of grace along the way.
Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book slowly and steadily won me over. There’s a literal shaggy dog in it but that doesn’t turn up till about 2/3 of the way thru so it’s not *her* story. Reminded me a lot of The Man In The High Castle in a nice way. There are perhaps a lot of loose ends and wrong turns, perhaps to hide the single thread of actual plot but by the end I was on with that. Good last lines.
The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Hard to brief about this book. At times I found its seriousness captivating and could get really lost in it. Despite how hard I found it to relate to a protagonist with *quite* that degree of self possession (I preferred the company of the more partials failure friend). It was mostly humourless, apart from some rather arch passages about New Zealand in the closing chapters. I liked it a lot but I have to read something vulgar and raucous next to get rid of the good taste in my mouth.
Afternoon Men by Anthony Powell
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
There is an interesting sequence when two characters go to a boxing match that has enough detail to be of historical interest and the final sequence set at a horrible week in the country is good but the book is marred by anti semitism and misogyny.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Antisemitism
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
fast-paced
3.0
I liked the story and the characters, particularly Early Jones.
Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy by Annette Gordon-Reed
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Really good. Absorbing, written with clarity, seriousness of intent but also wit.