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Content by NorthVan Dave
Commentateur n° : 95
Votes Utiles:
145
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Reviews Written by
NorthVan Dave (North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada)
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Juliet Naked
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de Nick Hornby
Édition : Hardcover |
| Price: CDN$ 19.50 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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One of his finest!, Nov 24 2009
I have read all of Nick Hornby's novels. His first, High Fidelity, I thought was a masterpiece. But since then, I felt that each book wasn't as good as the one that preceded it. So I was pleasantly surprised to pick up (and read) Juliet, Naked. The book captures much of what made High Fidelity such a good read.
The book focuses on Annie and Duncan. Duncan is obsessed with a musician - Tucker Crowe - who hasn't written or released any new music for 20 years. Yet that hasn't stopped fans from retracing Tucker Crowe's steps and trying to figure out why he suddenly vanished off the face of the earth. Yet when an acoustic version of Tucker Crowe's fan favourite album gets released - called Juliet, Naked - it starts a chain of events that rattles both Duncan and Annie.
Without going in to a whole bunch of detail, that is the gist of the book. So what makes this book so great? Or at least great in my opinion?
1. Hornby's writing style of throwing in musical references
2. The dynamics of Duncan and Annie's relationship. Something that I think any guy (and probably most women) could relate to
3. Strong characters that you can actually believe in
I liked this book. While it may not be as good as High Fidelity or About A Boy, it's definitely up there.
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Pass on this one, Nov 11 2009
I wanted to like this book. I really really did. But try as I might, there were just too many obstacles to make this a novel that I would recommend to anyone. Where oh where to begin.
Do I start with the writing style that jumps from present to past and back again without so much as a warning to the reader. One minute you're reading about something taking place in between our nameless protagonist and his roommate, the next you're reading about him and his girlfriend/wife, then you're reading about him and his present situation in Cape Cod. More than once I was a little confused, trying to figure out just who the nameless narrator (who stays nameless through the entire story by the way) was talking to.
As if the confusion surrounding who the narrator was talking to wasn't enough, I found there to be very little of substance to the novel. It was like reading 275 pages of nothing. Oh sure. Author Pernice throws in some cultural names/events (such as the ever hip Sub Pop records) in an attempt to resonate with readers. But the attempt feels feeble and forced. And, to be honest, the attempts add absolutely nothing to the storyline. It reminds me of the guys at parties who walk up and start talking about their Porches. Never mind the fact that everyone else was talking about the Canucks.
In short. Avoid this book. Don't read it. You'll be glad you did.
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Some good points, some bad, Nov 1 2009
I was looking for a book that would provide me with some practical coaching tips/advice on how to speak with people in a variety of situations. When I did a book search, this book was the one that my search kicked back. Initially I was skeptical. I mean the book was written by Larry King. The guy who speaks with criminals, movie stars, and other celebrities. But I figured what the heck. Might as well give it a try.
So what's the verdict? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure.
The first half of the book is good. Larry gives great advice on how to talk with people. Simple pointers such ask questions, let the conversation go in a natural direction, etc. Mind you the later half of the book leaves a little bit to be desired. Larry slides away from giving good advice to talking about all of the people he's spoken with over the years and what made them such great conversationalists. Now I know he is doing this to illustrate a point, but to me the book started to feel like a Larry King montage of who he's spoken with, rather than a tutorial on public speaking.
The positives of this book: Easy to read, well written, good hints/tips, and you can read the book in a week or less.
The negatives of the book: A little too much 'star gazing' near the end, and some repetitiveness.
If you're looking for a book to help you learn the skills of speaking with others, then I'd recommend this book to you. Just don't make it your one stop shop. Be sure to check out some other books.
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In Patagonia
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de Bruce Chatwin
Édition : Paperback |
| Availability: Currently unavailable |
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Not bad - Not great, Nov 1 2009
Somewhere, at some point in time, I read that this book was the definitive travel book. And because I do a lot of travelling, and have thought about going to Patagonia, I figured what the heck. Might as well give this book a try.
First up, this book was definitely not what I expected. This book is more of a collection of anecdotal stories about Bruce Chatwin's trip than anything else. I was expecting to read a story that was strung together through a series of colourful characters, etc. Kind of like City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. That book had a nice flow to it, interesting characters, and a good storyline. In Patagonia on the other hand, had none of this. And for me, this made reading the book kind of difficult.
There was no flow. There were no common characters (besides the author of course) and the writing was difficult to follow. So for these reasons, I did not like this book.
And then, I did like this book because the history that Chatwin passes along in the book about Patagonia is fantastic. You read about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You learn about the struggles of the Indians. And you get a real feel for the land.
So. What's the final verdict then?
If you're looking for a book giving you the history of Patagonia, give this book a read. If you're looking for a story about Patagonia, then look elsewhere.
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Meh. Could take it over leave it., Oct 22 2009
The premise of this book is a good one as it focuses on identity theft. Which, in the world today, is a very real subject. Thus I was quite keenly interested in reading this book. However the book/story had a hard time keeping my attention. Which is a shame because the plot/story is one that I should be interested in. Except I think the writing style, for me at least, just dragged a bit too much. So much so that I ended up loosing interest in the story.
The plot/subject is a good one. I'm leery of saying too much for fear of giving away the story. But here is a high level overview. Myles and Hayden are twins. Hayden may have a mental illness and after he runs away from his family, Myles spends his days wondering where his brother ended up. When a mysterious letter arrives in the mail, Myles drops everything to go and find his brother.
From here a series of other stories take place and the reader is taken on a path through the past and present of many different characters. The characters are well written and I found myself caring what happened to them. And it was because of this that I wanted to like this story more than I did. But the slow moving plot was enough to ruin it for me.
Action packed thriller this book isn't. But if you're looking for a book on family love and challenges, then go for it.
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World Without End
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de Ken Follett
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 17.52 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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Disappointing read, Oct 22 2009
I was really looking forward to this book, especially after reading the first book Pillars of the Earth. Pillars had a great plot, great characters, and a fantastic setting.
World Without End on the other hand was nothing but violence, followed by sex, followed by more violence. Then repeat that over and over again for 1000 pages. End of novel.
I don't recommend this book at all. While Follett does make an attempt at developing some great characters, he spends too much time on the other stuff and not enough time building a good plot. This book could easily have been 400 - 500 pages long and a great read. Instead it's nothing but a doorstop.
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The Angel's Game
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de Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Édition : Hardcover |
| Price: CDN$ 22.02 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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This book rocks!, Sep 20 2009
If you're looking for a quick review, then just read this: I LOVED THIS BOOK!
If you're looking for a little bit more of an explanation, then read on.
I was/am a great fan of Carlos Zafon's novel The Shadow of the Wind. And the items that made The Shadow of the Wind book such an awesome read - suspense, romance, action, great character development - are all present here too.
In short, this book is about novelist David Martin. As he goes about his business of writing he becomes befriended by a mysterious French publisher. The publisher asks Martin to write a special novel and from there, the book takes on many different twists and turns. I'll refrain from writing any more as I don't want to give away too much of the plot. However know this. Give this book a read. You won't be disappointed.
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Music Of Chance
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de Paul Auster
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 13.51 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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A likeable story, Sep 8 2009
So what to say about this novel? The standard Paul Auster writing style is present. And the premise of the book is a good one. A man, running from his problems, comes across a drifter. The drifter promises the man that if he invests in a poker game with him, he'll win his money back. And so, the lonely man decides to invest. The story then takes off from there.
So what didn't I like about the book? Hard to say. The characters were well written. The story intriguing. The plot nicely flushed out. I guess what stops me from completely enjoying this novel is that I'm not a big gambler. But having said that, this is a good book. Anyone who reads Paul Auster should do themselves a favour and pick up the novel. Poker player or not.
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Another fine book by Susanna, Sep 8 2009
A Vein of Deceit is the 15th Matthew Bartholomew mystery. The book is starts out with Michaelhouse, an educational institution in Cambridge, missing a large sum of money. An internal investigation shows that the college's accountant has misplaced a substantial amount of the college's resources. The leader of the college, Langelee, decides that the senior proctor Michael and the college doctor Bartholomew are to conduct an investigation in to the missing money.
From there a series of adventures take place and, in true Susanna Gregory fashion, as the adventure continues bodies begin to pile up.
In short, I liked this book. As Matthew Bartholomew mysteries go, this was one of the better ones. I am looking forward to what happens in the 16th book.
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Slam
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de Nick Hornby
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 11.32 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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Nicely done, Aug 29 2009
Slam is Nick Hornby's most recent book. And although the target audience is youth (or at least it is it the Youth Fiction section of my local library) I enjoyed this book. Nick Hornby writes about a sensitive subject with humour and a realistic approach. In typical Nick Hornby fashion, he does this by talking about things people can relate to. Like music by Green Day. Or Tony Hawk. Or skateboarding. And of course he manages to do so without coming across all preachy.
The protagonist in the story is Sam. A 15 year old who like skating, listening to music, and hanging out with his friends. Along the way Sam gets a girlfriend and he ends up getting her pregnant. From there the story progresses as Sam learns to cope with the idea/notion of being a Dad a 16. However not only does Sam need to concern himself with being a Dad, but so does his mother and his girlfriend's parents.
In summary, Nick Hornby does a good job of talking about what goes through one's mind and how, at the age of 15/16, someone would deal with it. I think this book should be recommended reading in all schools. Nicely done.
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