While I often find it hard to review a classic novel because we already know it’s stood the test of time, it is even harder to review one that has bee...moreWhile I often find it hard to review a classic novel because we already know it’s stood the test of time, it is even harder to review one that has been translated into English as well. Some of the beauty in the writing could have been lost in the translation and because there is so many different translations out there, how do you choose which one to read. This version of Crime and Punishment was translated by David McDuff and I must admit I didn’t really notice anything wrong with the translation at all. It was only upon reflecting that I realised that something could have been lost in the translation.
I have to admit I really love Russian literature and Crime and Punishment will be the front runner for my favourite Russian piece of literature. Raskolnikov is a conflicted character; he is showing a lot of interest in the classes and thinking he is of a higher class than others believes he has the right to commit murder. Contrary to the title, this novel doesn’t really focus on the crime or the punishment but rather the inner turmoil of Raskolnikov as well as the impact on his intellect and emotions. It is not until the very end that the sense of guilt overwhelms him and he confesses and ends his alienation.
Despite the rest of the characters in this book, the bulk of this novel plays out in the mind of Raskolnikov. Fyodor Dostoyevsky must have been a very skilled writer to be able to get into the mindset of such a deranged mind. While the murder of two people is definitely a crime, I think the moral that comes across in this book is that the biggest crime was that Raskolnikov placed himself above his fellow man. I wonder if Dostoyevsky was trying to also show the reader the dangers of rationalism and maybe utilitarianism.
I’m really surprised how fast I got through this book and the fact that I really enjoyed this book even though I was warned time and time again that this was a very difficult book and not to expect to enjoy it. I’m a huge fan of a book that deals with the inner turmoil of a person especially in a macabre way. It reminded me so much of Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson and makes me wonder if books like the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsey were influenced by this classic novel. I have a feeling that I will be thinking about this book for a long time and might have to reread it one day.
This book didn’t really engage me at all, I was expecting some exciting adventure about Espionage; but The thirty-nine steps didn’t deliver. There wer...moreThis book didn’t really engage me at all, I was expecting some exciting adventure about Espionage; but The thirty-nine steps didn’t deliver. There were some good bits but for the most of it I thought there interactions were too unrealistic. The movie is so much better, the book just felt like a bit of a miss.(less)
When I read this book I kept thinking this book reminds me of the Bruce Willis movie Last Man Standing. Then I find out that movie was a remake of a J...moreWhen I read this book I kept thinking this book reminds me of the Bruce Willis movie Last Man Standing. Then I find out that movie was a remake of a Japanese movie called Yojimbo, which is based on Res Harvest. Have no fear though, this book is heaps better than that plotless movie. This book is full of gritty and complex side plots, red herrings, greed and corruption.
The unnamed main character is brought into Poisonville to clean up the town from all the gangsters and corruption. Pinning one against the other the protagonist begins to enjoy this a little too much. The gangsters been played against each other can only result in one thing; a blood bath; a red harvest.(less)
This is my first Ken Follett book (much to the disappointment of my wife) but I wanted to tackle something small before attempting on of his epics. Ey...moreThis is my first Ken Follett book (much to the disappointment of my wife) but I wanted to tackle something small before attempting on of his epics. Eye of the Needle tells the story of a German master spy ‘The Needle’ and his attempt to uncover the plans of the English army during World War 2 (a few weeks before D-Day). This book was a little light on the espionage and too much focused on the generic thriller formula. I also felt the feeling of World War 2 was missed; this book could have been a lot darker and grittier without losing anything in the story. But then again I’m just a sucker for darker books, so when it a WWII novel is a little on the light side, I tend to get disappointed. I love the antagonist ‘The Needle’ and kind of wished he was the protagonist, I think the character could of made a decent book series. I guess people don’t want the Germans to win the war. There are some amusing scenes but all in all it was like reading a Jason Borne style novel set in World War 2; while exciting it really could have been a lot better. (less)
The Devil in a Blue Dress was different to most Hard-Boiled novels I’ve read. For the most obvious reason, it was based around the African American co...moreThe Devil in a Blue Dress was different to most Hard-Boiled novels I’ve read. For the most obvious reason, it was based around the African American community, which gave the story a fresh and interesting take on the genre. I remember seeing the movie and didn’t think much of it, but the novel was really enjoyable and well worth reading for all Hard-Boiled fans.(less)
I don’t think I’ve ever read a full book in one sitting before, but since it was small (125 pages) and James M Cain wrote an exciting novella; it was...moreI don’t think I’ve ever read a full book in one sitting before, but since it was small (125 pages) and James M Cain wrote an exciting novella; it was quick easy, I needed to know what was going to happen. Double Indemnity tells the story of an insurance agent and a woman who set out to make a lot of money by claim the insurance of the accidental death of her husband. As you probably guessed; her husband’s death was not going to be an accident. James M Cain is the master of the Noir genre, where he can take a basic murder plot and make everything go horribly wrong.
The way Cain writes his characters is superb, you get the feeling that you know what they are thinking and when they are planning a double cross; but Cain also likes to put some unexpected twists just to keep the reader guessing. If I was going to recommend a James M Cain book to anyone, it would probably The Postman Always Rings Twice; but since this is such a short story this would also be a good book to start with. The Hardboiled & Noir genres are fast becoming my favourite of all genres, and Cain is definitely the king of Noir (from what I’ve read so far).(less)
Drinking, flirting and murder. Former detective Nick Charles is a cynical but overall decent man, his with wife, Nora, a clever woman who almost force...moreDrinking, flirting and murder. Former detective Nick Charles is a cynical but overall decent man, his with wife, Nora, a clever woman who almost forces Nick into this case. This classic hard-boiled novel isn’t the strongest Dashiell Hammett offering but has a sense of making fun of the genre. (less)
The Killer Inside Me is a perfect example of Noir in its purest form; it’s disturbing, dark, gritty and chilling. The protagonist Lou Ford is an all-a...moreThe Killer Inside Me is a perfect example of Noir in its purest form; it’s disturbing, dark, gritty and chilling. The protagonist Lou Ford is an all-around nice guy – on the surface – underneath is a depraved sociopath. Ford claims this is a result of bordom; "If there's anything worse than a bore," says Lou, "it's a corny bore." The book is writing in first person; which makes the sadomasochistic relationships, child abuse and insanity just that much more chilling and disturbing.
This book is not for the weak-hearted, this is violent and disturbing, more so that you would expect from a book written in the early 1950’s. Lou Ford’s inner demons will make you feel sick at times; it’s reminds me of the same feeling I got when reading Lolita. Both great novels, that make you sick to your stomach. (less)
A Franciscan friar and a Benedictine novice travel to a Benedictine monastery in Italy to attend a theological disputation. Not it’s not a joke… its m...moreA Franciscan friar and a Benedictine novice travel to a Benedictine monastery in Italy to attend a theological disputation. Not it’s not a joke… its murder. The Name of the Rose is set in 1327 and follows the story of William of Baskerville and his companion and narrator Adso as they try to uncover who is behind all the mysterious deaths.
Baskerville is an intellectual and almost Sherlock in the way he analyses and comes to his conclusions; with his trusty sidekick, Watson… I mean Adso who is narrating this book many years later as a memoir, giving Umberto Eco the perfect chance to flood the novel with all his knowledge of Medieval Catholicism.
This book is heavy in explaining the medieval times and the fights between the different Catholic factions, as well as the sheer ease of convicting someone as a heretic. I loved Eco’s other novel Foucault's Pendulum because of the subject matter (conspiracies) but I think this book is an easier book to read, and if you are interested in learning about Medieval times and the Catholics back then, it is a good way to teach and entertain.(less)
Espionage at it’s best. This is a well written book of intelligence gathering, double crossing, sex and everything else you want in a cold war spy nov...moreEspionage at it’s best. This is a well written book of intelligence gathering, double crossing, sex and everything else you want in a cold war spy novel. (less)
The Lady in the Lake is the tale of Private Detective Marlowe, who is hired to find a missing woman by her husband. Marlowe finds a woman dead in the...moreThe Lady in the Lake is the tale of Private Detective Marlowe, who is hired to find a missing woman by her husband. Marlowe finds a woman dead in the lake of this couples cabin getaway, but it isn’t the same woman, it is the wife of the caretaker. With all his great detective skills, humor and wit; Marlowe attempts to uncover this mystery, with some interesting results.
I do have to admit, I’ve got a special place in my heart for all things written by Raymond Chandler; especially the Philip Marlowe series. I beleive this is the forth book I’ve read in this series, and i do plan to read them all. The Lady in the Lake, follows the standard Chandler format; Marlowe gets hired for a case that appears to be an easy job on the surfice, as he follows the case where ever it takes him, it become more and more complex. (less)
Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye is different to all his other Philip Marlowe books; it’s twice as long, semi autobiographical and it’s a platform...moreRaymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye is different to all his other Philip Marlowe books; it’s twice as long, semi autobiographical and it’s a platform for social criticism. While people say this book was never on the same level as The Big Sleep or Farewell, My Lovely, Chandler (and other critics) considers it his best work even though he was going through a lot of agony writing it with his wife was terminally ill and the alcoholism he was suffering.
In the book Marlowe forges an unhealthy friendship with a drunk, which lands him in a situation he could have avoided, if he wasn’t loyalty to his friends. Which leads him into a whole lot of situations that could have been avoided; but this does make for an interesting and unique story. The dialog and the situation make this book possibly the best Marlowe book written (in my opinion). It’s tight and well planned, the story is a lot less complexity, but more socially relevant.
I love this character and I’m sad to be almost at the end of all the Marlowe books, but this one will stand out more than the others for the depth and biographical nature. Don’t expect this book to be the same as all the other Hard-Boiled novels Raymond Chandler wrote, this is definitely unique. (less)
I love Hard-Boiled novels, so I was really looking forward to reading Dashiell Hammett. Right off the bat, it was clear his style was more raw and gri...moreI love Hard-Boiled novels, so I was really looking forward to reading Dashiell Hammett. Right off the bat, it was clear his style was more raw and gritty than the likes of other great authors like Raymond Chandler. I really did enjoy this novel and am thankful to read a book by the father of Hard-Boiled. If you are new to this genre, I might suggest you try Raymond Chandler first, as his novels are more comical and the plots are less twisted. I will have to read some more from Dashiell Hammett.(less)
This is the perfect example of what James M. Cain is capable of, gritty, minimalistic and fast paced. I’ve read this book before and it was nice to re...moreThis is the perfect example of what James M. Cain is capable of, gritty, minimalistic and fast paced. I’ve read this book before and it was nice to reread. The Postman Always Rings Twice is liked watching a car wreck about to happen; you know that things will get bad, but you may not know what exactly happens. I’m a big fan of Cain; he really is the master of the Noir genre. I remember the movie and it worked really well as a movie; even if there are a few differences the feel of the book translated perfectly. Cain is considered the father of writing some great books like Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity; but The Postman Always Rings Twice is the best example of what his work. (less)
The book has been described as a southern gothic novel which gave the book a certain appeal to me and was one of the main reasons I decided to read th...moreThe book has been described as a southern gothic novel which gave the book a certain appeal to me and was one of the main reasons I decided to read this book. What I found left me a little disappointed. To begin with, I found the book didn’t start to get interesting till chapter 11. I know the back story was needed, it was a different time, but I didn’t much care for the childhood of Jean Louise, Jem or even Boo. To me it felt like it dragged on and could have used some cutting down, but some people like to hear about life in the 1930’s. When I did eventually get to chapter 11, I did start to enjoy the book a lot more and finally at chapter 17 we started to get into the real story of To Kill A Mockingbird; The Court Case.
Atticus was the only truly enjoyable character for me. He was a wise and fair man, though he never wanted to take Tom Robinson case he did his upmost to make sure he was treated fairly and got the best representation possible. Atticus was the shining light throughout this book; he was a scholar and gentlemen through thick and thin. Once the court case was over and Atticus no longer had to deal with Tim Robinson the book again went back to its original slow pace and eventually fizzled out.
The book wasn’t all bad, it was well written and tackled some important topics, including racial injustice, class and even sexuality. I can see why this is a classic book and I think Harper Lee did a fantastic job at shedding light on some important social issues, the story just felt to slow for my liking, but I can understand why so many people enjoy this book.(less)
Before the Twilight series there were stories about Vampires that actually were good. The most famous of these was the story of Dracula by Bram Stoker...moreBefore the Twilight series there were stories about Vampires that actually were good. The most famous of these was the story of Dracula by Bram Stoker. Structurally it is an epistolary novel, that is, told as a series of letters, diary entries, ships’ logs, etc. Literary critics have examined many themes in the novel, such as the role of women in Victorian culture, conventional and conservative sexuality, immigration, colonialism, postcolonialism and folklore. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel’s influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many theatrical, film and television interpretations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
This book was a long one and at times I admit to struggling with it. I was very interested in the origins of Dracula, but I think there was so much involved in this book that at times I don’t think I enjoyed reading it. Overall it was a decent book but I wouldn’t consider it a must read. (less)
Loading...
