I borrowed this from the library. Good reading, although it was amusing and confusing to see the name of the inheritor change occasionally from Karn t...moreI borrowed this from the library. Good reading, although it was amusing and confusing to see the name of the inheritor change occasionally from Karn to Kara as well as the various other typos. It was authentic to the time! The other authenticity was the vocabulary, with several words being unfamiliar to me. Even Overdrive's ebook dictionary hadn't a clue. But Rex Stout's writing is such that the context helps the reader figure it out. My English prof back in university always said if you're going to use a big word (or in this case, a word peculiar to the time) make sure the context defines it for the reader. Not everyone wants to haul out a dictionary to read a book. Fortunately, in today's ebook insurgence (yes, I'm sure that's how a few troglodytes feel ;) ), a dictionary no longer has to be hauled out but simply brought up with a tap of the finger.
The plot was good. The story breezy. Archie Goodwin still young in his creation. Nero Wolfe doesn't change a bit, really, but Goodwin does mature or move with the times as the series goes on. It's interesting to read him as he was near the beginning.
My favourite part though was the introduction by Dean Koontz. I have been struggling with my reading since my brain injury, but I've also been struggling to try and make the health care professionals understand why reading -- and reading voraciously and omnivorously -- is so important to me and necessary, not just as a reader (I know, a few of you are scratching your heads now, wondering why anyone has to be convinced that reading a lot is normal and necessary) but moreso as a writer. Koontz wrote spectacularly well what I've been trying to say for so long. I want to copy it and hand it out every time someone says to me, you know, 39 books a year is fine, or I don't read that much and I'm a reader so why you stressing over it, or I'll look into it and a year later is still saying that, or just doesn't get that I should be able to read at the level I'm writing. Luckily, the psychologists involved in my care understand that need to read, and maybe, just maybe their solution will work. Let's hope. Meanwhile, Stout's books continue to be worth reading, no matter one's skill level.(less)
Maybe you need to be in the right mood to tolerate the volume of verbal violence and the never-ending angst -- I mean seriously, people, stop whinging...moreMaybe you need to be in the right mood to tolerate the volume of verbal violence and the never-ending angst -- I mean seriously, people, stop whinging and be a man -- of the characters, but I found it a little tedious. Maybe it helps too if your life is tickety-boo and not full of your own angst! So trying to set that aside, I still liked the book. The characters emerged from the book as fully-formed alive individuals, and the plot was suitably convoluted with wonderful huge, honking clues that could or could not lead you down the right path. I figured out fairly quickly where to look for the who in whodunnit. But I was pleasantly surprised at the final reveal. I say pleasantly because a good mystery is one where the writer stays ahead of the reader or enough ahead that at least you don't solve it in chapter one.
Even though I had not read the previous books in this series, it didn't make a difference other than I knew I was missing the continuing story of some of the regular characters. But they're drawn so well that you could follow along well enough.(less)
Wow. I'm still reeling and trying to process what just happened at the end. This is a book that keeps on giving right until the last page, and it does...moreWow. I'm still reeling and trying to process what just happened at the end. This is a book that keeps on giving right until the last page, and it doesn't use any ridiculous tricks to deceive and artificially heighten the tension either.
The first unusual aspect of this book I noticed was the setting. As The Crime Vault told me on Twitter: it's tricky. It seems like it's set in Europe. But then there are a few Americanisms tossed in here and there, infrequently enough that they catch you by surprise, making you wonder what kind of Europe it's set in. Certainly, not the kind we here in Canada would imagine, I wouldn't think. The character names are all over the map, and so they give no hint either. I think the effect is that this could happen anywhere. Don't feel comfortable.
And, in fact, this is not a book to read at night -- not because it's creepy but because it plays with your mind and incites dreams. Not good. Well, good for the writer, meaning he's pulled you right into his story.
The characters are well drawn and come to life. The plot is convoluted as hell, although I think if I read The Whisperer again, I would probably find it is deceptively simple. To help the reader yet hinder you as well, the author uses some familiar formulaic devices mystery writers oftentimes use, but he turns them inside out. You think you're reading one thing. But you're not.
At the end of the book, two themes come to their end. One is obvious and is the mystery. The other grows from nothingness to completely dominate the end. And that's what ends up going round and round in your mind. It's a cleverly constructed and well-thought-out book. I can see why it was a hit.
This is the second of ten books I won from The Crime Vault in a Twitter contest. The first one I read was Nothing But Trouble.(less)
I won this book in a Twitter contest held by the UK's The Crime Vault for for "What would you name your series character?" I came up with Inspector Ev...moreI won this book in a Twitter contest held by the UK's The Crime Vault for for "What would you name your series character?" I came up with Inspector Everlast Forlorn. And I won ten books! I read the descriptions of all the books and chose to read Roberta Kray's first.
I'm not familiar with Kray. I didn't know if this book was the start of a series or mid-series or what. But it didn't matter. She weaves in memories of previous cases so effortlessly that a new reader would learn some of the backstory while old hands would not be bored and start flipping pages to get to the new stuff again. By the end of the book, I still couldn't say definitively that this book is part of a series, but I did feel like I was in the middle of a story about the main characters. It would be interesting to see what happens next.
I liked the characters. It took me awhile to get to know them, and I felt like sometimes they bordered on the stereotypical. All in all though, I was left not quite knowing enough about the crime solvers and thus wanting to know more.
The plot was convoluted. And this is where my brain-injury-imposed reading limitations put a serious dent in my ability to solve the mystery. I didn't. And even when it was solved in the book, it took me awhile to piece the picture together in my poor head because it's not a simple crime. I never fully understood the final motive (I wonder if I missed the explanation that some authors include, or if there wasn't one), and I think that's because the reader needs to sink right into this book and be able to follow the characters and build up the big picture and put the pieces together like one does a jigsaw puzzle. And I couldn't do that. It's a book for rereading and for engaging the mind, for sure.(less)
Well, that was a bummer. I borrowed the ebook from the Toronto Public Library, dug into it on a weekend I think, enjoyed what I read hugely, then prom...moreWell, that was a bummer. I borrowed the ebook from the Toronto Public Library, dug into it on a weekend I think, enjoyed what I read hugely, then promptly forgot about it after my week began. And so the library borrowing period expired, and the ebook vanished from my OverDrive app. I'll have to put it on hold again. The problem with popular ebooks though is by the time your turn comes up to borrow it, you've forgotten all about it and it's a very inconvenient time too.(less)
Many of the rants were familiar to me, so I must admit I skimmed through those, but the Maclean's articles were not, and some of the rants I just didn...moreMany of the rants were familiar to me, so I must admit I skimmed through those, but the Maclean's articles were not, and some of the rants I just didn't remember. I could hear Mercer ranting in my head as I read them. His humour doesn't grow old, even if some of the topics were a bit out of date. Even so, it was interesting to revisit old controversies. The piece I laughed hardest at was his backstory on the Rick Hansen piece on RMR. I almost fell off my chair.
If you're not a Canadian and have never heard of Mercer (shock! horror!), you may find some of the stories are obscure, but there are plenty of pieces about political foibles and great characters that will have you rockin' in your chair.
This is a good read when you need a laugh to break the back of a stressful day. I borrowed the ebook from the Toronto Public Library.(less)
I borrowed the ebook from the Toronto Public Library, and it's, um, an interesting book. It has a ton of images in it, which in a regular kind of eboo...moreI borrowed the ebook from the Toronto Public Library, and it's, um, an interesting book. It has a ton of images in it, which in a regular kind of ebook as this was, are displayed strangely sometimes -- image on one page, caption on the next. But it's hard to position images unless you have a fixed-layout ebook. In any case, I'm not used to seeing images in a non-fiction book of serious intent. Some were helpful; others I wasn't sure why they were there.
Maybe it's my brain injury getting in the way, but it took me awhile to understand how he structured the book and what the point of it was. Basically, it seems, each section is on how a particular philosopher -- starting with ones from ancient Greece and moving in time towards the present -- brings consolation to a particular part of life. So, for example, the Stoic philosopher Seneca brings consolation to those who are frustrated: his brand of philosophy helps a person cope with frustration or become less frustrated.
In each section, the author describes aspects of the philosopher's life that played out how he (and they're all "he") grew his own philosophy and applied it to his own quandaries or way of living. One neat thing about this method is that the reader gets to know a particular philosophy through the life of the philosopher, making it very accessible to the non-philosophy major.
I didn't finish it because my library ebook expired before I could. And I wasn't so enthralled with it that I felt inclined to put another hold on it. However, I read most of it, enough to feel I can apply a rating to it.(less)
When I began reading Last Stop Sunnyside, I was drawn in by the location (Parkdale in Toronto, my city) and the characters. The mystery sounded intere...moreWhen I began reading Last Stop Sunnyside, I was drawn in by the location (Parkdale in Toronto, my city) and the characters. The mystery sounded interesting too. But then, I'm not sure what happened, but as I read on, my interest waned till by the end I was skimming. I don't know if it was the typos or the verb tense changes -- when writing in present tense, you have to be so careful not to slip into past tense, which did happened here and so I couldn't figure out what tense the book was supposed to be in, very confusing. I don't know if it was the characters were missing some fleshing out, not turning them from 2D to 3D, or if it was because the mystery was solved quickly within the story itself, thus not leaving much suspense to keep the reader hooked, but in any case, I lost interest. It's too bad because I'm always looking for a good Canadian mystery author.(less)
It was a bit humourless to start with, which made it feel slow. Maybe the tone was right for the setting and what was going on, but I felt too oppress...moreIt was a bit humourless to start with, which made it feel slow. Maybe the tone was right for the setting and what was going on, but I felt too oppressed by it. There was also a few preachy bits I skipped right over. I'm sure many don't know the depressing facts, and preaching facts à la Law & Order certainly seems to be a trend, but I find it tedious and unreal. The story itself should tell the important side of the facts, and this one does. So why go on and on telling facts in an unrealistic thought bubble, so to speak? It would've been better if she had left it at showing and injected a little humour in as well. Every dark side can have humour! Or maybe that's a cultural thing...
The library didn't have a lot of the ebooks between the first few of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series and the later few, and so I skipped a whole bunch in between to read this one. It didn't really make a difference in being able to follow the story, even though I've apparently missed a crucial piece of Anna Pigeon's personal story. I thought the first few were stronger than this one though. Still, the last two-thirds of Winter Study, despite preachiness, were worth reading. As is the Foreword.(less)
This was not my usual kind of read in that I prefer to start mystery series from the beginning. But I saw this, liked the plot description, and borrow...moreThis was not my usual kind of read in that I prefer to start mystery series from the beginning. But I saw this, liked the plot description, and borrowed the ebook from the library. It had good characterizations and action -- both dramatic and interpersonal -- that kept me reading. But I found the stereotypical violent solution a bit mundane, entirely too predictable, even if it was done sideways so to speak. I think I'm fed up with violence being seen as the only solution to violence. I mean, really, could we use a bit more imagination. Also, I solved the whodunnit before I was halfway through the book. Either my brain is improving markedly or the authors made the clues entirely too obvious because I haven't been able to solve a well-put-together mystery in over a decade. That plus since from what I've read of the series it seems that violent solutions are the hallmark of the main character, I'll probably not read another in this series ... unless there's nothing else to read. But I don't regret picking it up. Aren't readers contradictory!(less)
Loved this book! I think it's because Rex Stout had obvious fun writing it, and as a writer and long-time reader of Stout's, I enjoyed the plot very m...moreLoved this book! I think it's because Rex Stout had obvious fun writing it, and as a writer and long-time reader of Stout's, I enjoyed the plot very much. He took swipes at publishers; he gleefully exploited the endless author-publisher tension; he was self-deprecating in his choice of pet words by "X" like "aver" (I chortled over that one because it is most definitely Stout's pet substitute for "said" in many of his books); and the ending was stellar.
Oh sure, typos were liberally sprinkled throughout the ebook version I read -- missing periods, a name spelt incorrectly, and aside from obvious typos like short instead of shot, some words I had no inkling what they were supposed to be -- but it almost seemed deliberate, like a poke in the eye from the past to present-day claims by traditional publishers that only they know how to proofread and edit well and only their books come error-free. This was one of Stout's best.(less)
This ebook is part three of three, really a novel cut into three to up the suspense (and profit) factor. I borrowed all three ebooks from the library...more This ebook is part three of three, really a novel cut into three to up the suspense (and profit) factor. I borrowed all three ebooks from the library: Odd Interlude #1, Odd Interlude #2, and Odd Interlude #3. This is a review of all three.
The most overriding characteristic of this story is -- compelling. I hadn't realised when I borrowed the first one that these three ebooks are structured as parts one, two, and three of one story, and so I ended up having to wait interminably for Odd Interlude #2 to become available from a very long hold list. I didn't make the same mistake with the third one, and put a hold on it at the same time as the second one.
As usual, Odd came through strongly, with his discursive way of writing his story and his philosophical musings as he faces the growing horror of the man who holds the denizens of Harmony Corners in psychic hostage. I must say I didn't see coming the reason for the man's abilities and psychosis. I'm not sure I bought it, but really that was a small part of the threesome of ebooks. Characters are what is important here. And Koontz changed it up a little by introducing a new voice. It came as a bit of shock when she showed up, but after I got used to two first persons, I rather liked it. And I liked the way it all made sense at the end.
Koontz gave us a tease of what is to come in the next full-length Odd Thomas novel. Nothing like marketing and a narrator coming together!
My only complaint of this threesome of ebooks is I was too soon finished.(less)
This ebook is part two of three, really a novel cut into three to up the suspense (and profit) factor. I borrowed all three ebooks from the library: O...moreThis ebook is part two of three, really a novel cut into three to up the suspense (and profit) factor. I borrowed all three ebooks from the library: Odd Interlude #1, Odd Interlude #2, and Odd Interlude #3. This is a review of all three.
The most overriding characteristic of this story is -- compelling. I hadn't realised when I borrowed the first one that these three ebooks are structured as parts one, two, and three of one story, and so I ended up having to wait interminably for Odd Interlude #2 to become available from a very long hold list. I didn't make the same mistake with the third one, and put a hold on it at the same time as the second one.
As usual, Odd came through strongly, with his discursive way of writing his story and his philosophical musings as he faces the growing horror of the man who holds the denizens of Harmony Corners in psychic hostage. I must say I didn't see coming the reason for the man's abilities and psychosis. I'm not sure I bought it, but really that was a small part of the threesome of ebooks. Characters are what is important here. And Koontz changed it up a little by introducing a new voice. It came as a bit of shock when she showed up, but after I got used to two first persons, I rather liked it. And I liked the way it all made sense at the end.
Koontz gave us a tease of what is to come in the next full-length Odd Thomas novel. Nothing like marketing and a narrator coming together!
My only complaint of this threesome of ebooks is I was too soon finished.(less)
I haven't read Christie's early works before, and it was interesting watching her development as a writer through reading this series of her short sto...moreI haven't read Christie's early works before, and it was interesting watching her development as a writer through reading this series of her short stories. Her writing here was very much in the style of the 1920s and was not nearly as good as in the Poirot and Miss Marple series I'm familiar with. It shows that practice does make a talent better. A nice book to while away the time when you have nothing else to do (like waiting in line ore recovering from the flu).(less)
It wasn't till I finished reading this good book that I realised the point of The Father Hunt is in the title: the hunt. Not the solution, this time....moreIt wasn't till I finished reading this good book that I realised the point of The Father Hunt is in the title: the hunt. Not the solution, this time. And in that it's a gem. But I will say that the holes at the end, or incomplete answers, left me feeling a bit cheated. That's why I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars. On the other hand, I can make up a story to fill in the big why, something I used to enjoy doing way back when I was a young reader.
This edition is supposed to include letters from Rex Stout's archives, but there seems to be something missing, at least in the eBook version of this edition. The intro to the archive refers to the master's answer to a letter, but there is no answer, just the letter. (less)
I read the ebook version of this book as background research for the novel I wrote during National Novel Writing Month in November 2012. It's an eye-o...moreI read the ebook version of this book as background research for the novel I wrote during National Novel Writing Month in November 2012. It's an eye-opener, replacing suicide mythology with facts and figures. For example, many assert that there's no point in putting up a barrier on a bridge because people will just find another way to kill themselves. But that's not true, according to the research. People with suicide on the mind fixate on one method and if that method is blocked won't use another. Another example: the people interviewed who had remarkably survived the jump from the Golden Gate Bridge didn't try again -- countering the idea that if thwarted, they will always try again.
I live in Toronto where the Prince Edward Viaduct (or as we commonly call it the Blood Viaduct) was the number two suicide bridge, after the Golden Gate Bridge. I have also seen the Golden Gate bridge up close and from afar. They are both beautiful bridges with incredible views that shouldn't be blocked. But unlike San Franciscans, Torontonians prevailed in having the luminous veil installed, deciding lives were important enough to protect while one did not have to completely kill the view and could have an architecturally excellent barrier. The fight to install the veil was considerably shorter than the ongoing one to install something similar on the Golden Gate Bridge, which fight Bateson details with stats and human stories. I thought a lot about the stories that surrounded the Viaduct and the luminous veil as I read Bateson's book. However, the numbers and his propensity for a little-too-much repetition of his theme that a suicide barrier must be installed became a bit overwhelming. Yet the reader is left wondering why on earth there isn't one installed yet.
Overall, this was a useful read for my background research, but not as comprehensive as November of the Soul, given its focus on the Golden Gate Bridge. Both authors though agreed on facts as far as I could see where their books overlapped.(less)
This had the best ending I've read in ages from any author. It made me want to immediately start reading the next book in the series. Stephen Booth re...moreThis had the best ending I've read in ages from any author. It made me want to immediately start reading the next book in the series. Stephen Booth really hit the writing mojo with this book, after a few that were okay but hinted at maybe the series was flagging. No more! The series has found new life with The Kill Call.(less)
I bought this ebook as background reading for writing my latest novel during National Novel Writing Month. I'd hunted around for a comprehensive, well...moreI bought this ebook as background reading for writing my latest novel during National Novel Writing Month. I'd hunted around for a comprehensive, well-written book on suicide, and this was it according to a few sources. It's rather large, which fortunately one has no sense of with an ebook. No intimidation factor! Yet it's an easy read for such a fact-filled ebook. I didn't read the whole of it because there were certain sections that were not relevant to my novel. But I assume that if they were as well-researched and as clearly written as the rest, then they were excellent.
He covers a lot of historical ground -- it's fascinating and eye-opening and brings home the point that suicide has been with us for millennia. We modern people are not special in that way. He also addresses some of the big questions, like if the media report on suicide, will copycats flourish? Or why do people suicide? He notes that the people most likely to suicide are in the age range of my protagonist (I had guessed well) and that the Inuit in Canada's far north have the highest suicide rates in the world.
I liked his use of detailed true examples for each section, of how he profiled people who suicided or, later on in the book, a person who was left behind by suicide. He also profiled suicide survivors. He goes into meticulous details about the events leading up to their death (or surviving the death of a spouse) and also what happened afterwards, including how the community and media reacted. Yet it's not boring at all. It's like reading a story, but one that is very real. The first true example I read, I did so on the subway. Not a good idea as it affected me greatly, that's how powerful Colt's storytelling ability is.
If you're at all interested in suicide, want to know more about this terrible scourge, or understand it if you know someone who has suicided, then I highly recommend this book.
(Yes, I know, I've turned suicide into a verb. But "commit suicide" is a phrase that people in this area want to get away from, and I think instead of using cumbersome phrases, turning suicide into a verb, which is a natural kind of change in the language, is better.)(less)
**spoiler alert** This is the first in the Brannigan series, and it shows. The protagonist has been compared to VI Warshawski, but I don't really see...more**spoiler alert** This is the first in the Brannigan series, and it shows. The protagonist has been compared to VI Warshawski, but I don't really see it. Paretsky writes very detailed mysteries with lots of angst and a bit too much lecturing. No angst or lecturing in Brannigan! The tone is lighter and Dead Beat didn't require thinking or intense focus from me. I didn't really figure out whodunnit, but I found the ending a bit flat even so. I didn't get the "oh, so that's who it is!" satisfaction. But I would pick up the next in the series as the two central characters are likeable.(less)
I didn't read the whole book, but I finished all the readings assigned by my tutor for the Philosophy of Mind online course. It's a comprehensive look...moreI didn't read the whole book, but I finished all the readings assigned by my tutor for the Philosophy of Mind online course. It's a comprehensive look at the top philosophers' writings on the hard problem of the mind. This is more of an academic book than a straight read, and it'll be a good reference for my continuing studies in this area. My only real beef with it is that it doesn't come in ePub format (or any ebook format).(less)
Loading...
