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Candlemoth
by
R.J. Ellory
Daniel Ford has 30days to live. Accused of the horrific murder of his best friend Nathan12 years before, he has exhausted all appeals and now faces the long walk to the electric chair. All he can do is make peace with his God. Father John Rousseau is the man to whom the last month of Daniel's life has been entrusted. All the two men have left to do is rake over the last as...more
Hardcover, 344 pages
Published
July 1st 2003
by Orion Publishing
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Het verhaal van vriendschap en verraad is prachtig geschreven. De (ongelofelijke) geschiedenis vanaf de jaren 60 tot en met de jaren 80 is goed verweven in het plot betreffende de moord op Nathan Verney. De emoties voel je.
Ik vind het niet echt een thriller. Je bent benieuwd hoe het afloopt, maar spannend: nee.
De continue verwijzingen naar dat er iets staat te gebeuren, gaan op een gegeven moment irriteren.
Spoiler
Priester blijkt uiteindelijk undercover agent. Vader van vriendin - politicus - wil...more
Ik vind het niet echt een thriller. Je bent benieuwd hoe het afloopt, maar spannend: nee.
De continue verwijzingen naar dat er iets staat te gebeuren, gaan op een gegeven moment irriteren.
Spoiler
Priester blijkt uiteindelijk undercover agent. Vader van vriendin - politicus - wil...more
Aug 24, 2011
Jennifer (JC-S)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Jennifer (JC-S) by:
fionnabhair@bigpond.com
Shelves:
librarybooks
‘I have faith in the fact that I am going to die.’
It’s 1982 and Daniel Ford is thirty-six years old. Twelve years ago, Daniel was convicted of the murder of his best friend, Nathan Verney. In thirty-six days, he will walk to the electric chair and pay with his life.
‘I ask myself what life is, what does it mean? Perhaps nothing more than a story, and each story different and rare and pronounced with its own voice.’
Father John Rousseau has been assigned to talk with Daniel during this last perio...more
It’s 1982 and Daniel Ford is thirty-six years old. Twelve years ago, Daniel was convicted of the murder of his best friend, Nathan Verney. In thirty-six days, he will walk to the electric chair and pay with his life.
‘I ask myself what life is, what does it mean? Perhaps nothing more than a story, and each story different and rare and pronounced with its own voice.’
Father John Rousseau has been assigned to talk with Daniel during this last perio...more
Loved this book. Daniel Ford (WASP) is on death row with 30 days to live accused of butchering his best friend Nathan (African Am)which from the start you know he didn't do. However, he feels so guilty about something he has not really fought the sentence. Now he's about to die he relives his life and spews his thoughts to a Priest. One of the few books I have read recently with real characters who are well rounded and have flaws and behave rashly and illogically and very NORMALLY. As it gets ne...more
This sounded to me like it would be a Grisham-esque legal thriller, but it was really an intriguing story and beautifully written, more like a 'proper novel' (if you'll excuse my saying). The ending was a bit predictable, but there were still several unexpected twists and it was quite an enjoyable read.
Slightly off topic, but I am realizing that I frequently say in my reviews a book is "enjoyable", which sounds rather trite, but to me it's really the bottom line. If I enjoy reading a book, even...more
Slightly off topic, but I am realizing that I frequently say in my reviews a book is "enjoyable", which sounds rather trite, but to me it's really the bottom line. If I enjoy reading a book, even...more
R J Ellory's books are about human nature and human emotion exposed....You cannot help but be touched and greatly affected by his writing long after the book is finished. What I find so powerful in this and other books is is depiction of childhood and how our childhood experiences stay and affect us all our lives. Candlemoth is about being on death row and the realization and inevitably of our own mortality, this is a great starting point to evaluate and make sense of our lives. Candlemoth is a...more
Candlemoth is truly a phenomenal book that was gripping from start to end. Apart from it being quite predictable, I can't really fault it. The characters were well formed and the plot was interesting. I thought that the writing flowed smoothly and the transition from present day to past memories worked extremely well. I adored the symbolism of the candlemoth. This book works so well at delving deep into so many issues and could perhaps even be considered a bit of a history lesson (though certain...more
There's not much to say about the plot that isn't written in the summary, really. Daniel Ford has been charged with the murder of his best (black) friend, Nathan Verney, and is rapidly approaching his final day on Earth. While waiting, he tells the story from the beginning to Father John Rousseau, who seems eager to hear all Daniel has to say on the matter.
This is my third Ellory book read so far, having begun (like many others) with A Quiet Belief In Angels, and it's clear that he has a talent...more
This is my third Ellory book read so far, having begun (like many others) with A Quiet Belief In Angels, and it's clear that he has a talent...more
Feb 05, 2010
BookScout
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-and-thrillers,
2010
This beautifully conceived book reads like Steinbeck in its compassion and humanity. Even with a slightly clumsy, but satisfying ending, the enigmatic prose and engaging plot deserve no less than 4 stars. The characters are extremely sympathetic, portraying the best of humanity in a world that is on the verge of imploding. America is a major character in this book and you will feel just as much ambiguity towards her as to the human ones.
Set in the 1960's and 1970's for the most part, this is th...more
Set in the 1960's and 1970's for the most part, this is th...more
This is the book that got me started with Roger Ellory.
Glad I found it in the 'interestsing reads' section of my local library. I have since bought it for myself, and re-read it.
Other reviews have captured the story and resolution better than I, but for me I liked this in the way that I liked Stewart O'Nan's 'The Good Wife' - the mapping of the characters' psyches that leads them (in both books) into a resignation that one's life is mapped out and it's too hard for us to climb out of the pit and...more
Glad I found it in the 'interestsing reads' section of my local library. I have since bought it for myself, and re-read it.
Other reviews have captured the story and resolution better than I, but for me I liked this in the way that I liked Stewart O'Nan's 'The Good Wife' - the mapping of the characters' psyches that leads them (in both books) into a resignation that one's life is mapped out and it's too hard for us to climb out of the pit and...more
I wish I could give this book extra stars, it is so beautifully written and you become so engrossed in the story that sometimes you forget he is sitting on death row and the outcome is not good until your dragged back to that dark place with him and his priest and your heart cracks another little piece, definitely a book I will look forward to coming back and reading again in a few years just to revisit the wonderful characters and some of the eloquent language.
Every once in a while you pick up a book that somehow makes you feel like you’ve come home. You know, one that wraps itself around you like a patchwork quilt and you want nothing more than to keep reading? Candlemoth is one of those books. It’s a bit surprising really, given the subject matter, for Daniel Ford – the narrator – is on Death Row and is days away from his execution.
Dense and sombre stuff from RJ Ellory. Another work of his in which key moments in recent US history are pegged in to the lives of "ordinary" people, in this case two friends, one of whom ends up on death row for the murder of the other. As I said, sombre stuff, but absolutely gripping. The only other one of his books I have read is A Quiet Vendetta which is similarly powerful. Good stuff.
Candlemoth
La bellezza di questo libro sta nel fatto che racconta un'epoca: gli Stati Uniti post JFK, con tutte le difficoltà annesse alla guerra in Vietnam, al Watergate di Nixon, la morte di Robert Kennedy e il reinserimento della pena di morte. La storia principale del libro mi è sembrata più un contorno, una scusa per giustificare il racconto storico (o forse è più un problema mio, non essendo riuscita ad affezionarmi al protagonista, incapace di prendere una sola decisione in autonomia per t...more
La bellezza di questo libro sta nel fatto che racconta un'epoca: gli Stati Uniti post JFK, con tutte le difficoltà annesse alla guerra in Vietnam, al Watergate di Nixon, la morte di Robert Kennedy e il reinserimento della pena di morte. La storia principale del libro mi è sembrata più un contorno, una scusa per giustificare il racconto storico (o forse è più un problema mio, non essendo riuscita ad affezionarmi al protagonista, incapace di prendere una sola decisione in autonomia per t...more
Hmmm... Really enjoyed the book up until the sadly predictable ending. Also, Ellory's style becomes a little irritating. He overuses short sentences and repetition and it becomes rather tiresome. Overall, a good holiday read.
A story of two boys, of first love and abiding friendship and the difficulty of balancing the both. Set in the Southern states of the US with all the classic stereotypes that go with. Still a cracking good read though
This is a real "wow" book. It has shades of John Irving about it, particularly A Prayer For Owen Meany. Like Owen Meany, it's set during the Vietnam War, has the relationship between two young boys at its centre and you know one of the boys will die from the outset. It could have been sentimental, overdone and downbeat but the author handles all these issues sensitively in beautiful prose
Having read the header description posted from Amazon I thought I was in for a mediocre read but the review...more
Having read the header description posted from Amazon I thought I was in for a mediocre read but the review...more
This was such a fantastic book to read, a cross between the Green Mile and Forest Gump. Would highly recommend this. READ READ......
Easily the best book I have read this year. In the vein of "The Help"/"To Kill A Mocking Bird"/To Sir With Love". Brilliant.
Beautifully written as always. Excellent. Central theme a little weak yet the writing carries this story right to the end
Superb book, good storyline, beautifully written. I would strongly recommend this book, and very much look forward to reading more by this author who came strongly recommended.
For this kind of epic flasback story with so much emotions to it and with backdrop of important US history of 50s,60s etc the writing was not good enough for me to believe the personal story of the characters,the characters themselves.
Loved this book. Bit of an unrealistic ending, but one thats reminds us of the good of the world. Excellent writing. if you like history, you will like this.
Really enjoyed this book, good story and well written, a few unnecessary parts I thought but by the end I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to reading more by this writer.
Have a personalise signed copy of this unfortunately it was only alright.
brilliant. Couldn't put this down. Fantastic story and has made me want to read more about the 50's, 60's and 70's America.
Fabulous book. Loved it. First time reading R.J. Ellory. Won't be the last.
Unexpected ending. Not quite but nearly "deus ex machina" .
Really enjoyable book. RJ takes you through growing up in America from the 1960s onwards and the troubles in that time form the Civil Rights to Vietnam.
lots of history in this book...of the 60's mostly....good story.
Great read. On the surface, there really isn't all that much to the story. The telling of the story, however, is what makes it special. Incredible writing.
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Roger began his first novel on November 4th, 1987 and did not stop, except for three days when he was going through a divorce from his first wife, until July of 1993. During this time he completed twenty-two novels, most of them in longhand, and accumulated several hundred polite and complimentary rejection letters from many different and varied publishers.
He stopped writing out of sheer frustrat...more
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He stopped writing out of sheer frustrat...more
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“Truth is truth, you are who you are, and though your viewpoint might change, and though you might possess a different perspective about something, your heart and what you believe and who you are inside is only ever you...and you have to follow your heart, you have to believe what you're doing is right, and no matter what anyone might say or think or do you have to trust yourself to make the right decision.”
—
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22 mai 11:46