3.5 stars if I could give them. I loved the entire second half of the book, loved the ideas, the plot twist, the ending, the imagery in the NDEs, and...more3.5 stars if I could give them. I loved the entire second half of the book, loved the ideas, the plot twist, the ending, the imagery in the NDEs, and Joanna's revelation about what her NDE really means - all of that really spoke to me, especially considering that she seems to have the same views about death as I do - but the characterization, and the writing in the first half of the book just weren't as good as I know Willis can do.
It's like she was in such a huge rush to get her ideas about death out on paper that she didn't have the patience to set up her characters properly. Plus, there is a lot of redundancy in the writing - to a certain extent I think that's meant to echo the process of the NDE, but it's only half-successful, unfortunately, and definitely not as well-written as her historians' obsessive, frustrated attempts to figure out slippage. Basically, this book needed another draft and a better editor, and then it would've been fantastic.
On the other hand, the writing stopped bugging me after about 300 pages and it took me only two nights to inhale the other 480 pages, plus I cried at the end (it was the French bulldog's frightened eyes that did me in), so she must've been doing something right. (less)
Well, this was a very charming read. The whole "o hay we moved 2 provence, awesome rite?" thing wasn't nearly as obnoxious as I thought it w...more3.5 stars.
Well, this was a very charming read. The whole "o hay we moved 2 provence, awesome rite?" thing wasn't nearly as obnoxious as I thought it was going to be, although I still think these travelogues are highly masturbatory in nature. Peter Mayle has a light touch with a pen (I think I read the whole thing in under five hours), and a real flair for characterisation. I admire a man who can sketch a portrait in a sentence, like this bit describing his uncle, for example: "'Puke in private, dear boy,' he used to say."
One of the other things in the plus column is that despite the fact that he describes over half a dozen different meals, he doesn't go into great detail about the actual food. He is not that great at making you salivate. This is a good thing. I hate books that make me miserable about what I'm having for dinner in reality. It would have been okay in this particular case, I guess, since it was Thanksgiving weekend that featured, among other things, roast duck with pineapple, strawberry-cranberry sauce, yams, roast pork, Black Forest cake, pumpkin pie made from scratch, potato pie, and other tasties, but whatever.
No, this book is mainly about the lifestyle in Provence. It doesn't over-romanticise it, but it's clearly relaxing and lovely and healthy and all those good things.
I think I am going to read the sequel in case some of the same people appear in it too. Especially Bennett. Bennett is awesome.
Book club notes: pp.36-37: funny rant about people inviting themselves. Also: "Drink your coffee before it gets dirty." p.49: LEARN HOW TO MAKE TRANCHES DOREES. p.87: Hilarious bit about burglaries. "He looked at me as if I had committed an act of terminal lunacy. 'You must be protected immediately. I will send a man this afternoon. Stay en garde until he comes.'" p.112: Ah, the gay English uncle. "Puke in private, dear boy." p.124: BENNETT! (less)
As far as the writing goes, it's only three stars' worth of good, but that didn't prevent me from adoring this book when I was a kid. Even now it's ve...moreAs far as the writing goes, it's only three stars' worth of good, but that didn't prevent me from adoring this book when I was a kid. Even now it's very compelling, insightful, and sensitive.(less)
I'm not generally a short story mystery genre aficionado, so my rating should be taken with a grain of salt. This is really a 2.5 stars rating. If you...moreI'm not generally a short story mystery genre aficionado, so my rating should be taken with a grain of salt. This is really a 2.5 stars rating. If you don't have anything against such short-format mysteries, you'll like this book - there's some good stuff in there.(less)
I went through my copy of selected Sherlock Holmes stories (I miss that book with the deep blue cover) at least a dozen times before I read The Hound...moreI went through my copy of selected Sherlock Holmes stories (I miss that book with the deep blue cover) at least a dozen times before I read The Hound of the Baskervilles. My grandmother said it was very scary, and I hesitated, until one winter morning, I decided I was ready. It wasn't that scary after all, but it was engrossing, suspenseful, and very great fun. Every mystery fan should read it.(less)
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