false 7 16 15 true 6042054 read 0 true 311703 currently-reading 1 true 311702 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2731503 to: On Chesil Beach (Hardcover) by Ian McEwan
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2732191 to: This Book Will Save Your Life (Paperback) by A.M. Homes
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21154034 to: The Gathering (Paperback) by Anne Enright
Beautifully written, haunting, dark. Interesting narrative structure (I like them). Maybe 1 too many introspective, pretty bleak books for me of late. Got a little bit frustrated and found it a little hard to care. None of the characters very sympathetic and a lot of pre-occupation with the past. Not sure it's a Booker winner but then I'm not sure I'd know one if i fell over it. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21154028 to: Tomorrow (Paperback) by Graham Swift
An interesting narrative structure: a woman on the eve of having to enlighten her children of a terrible fact, reviews/reflects her life and how they have all arrived at this point.
The tone of voice was consistent through out to this character. However i hated the way it was written, like really loathed it! I found it cloyingly cutesy and twee. Endless repetition of nauseating phrases and referring to children as 'shrimps', 'my darlings'... oh i can't actually go on.
i read it until about the last chapter and got so frustrated and nauseated i through it across the room. Shame, i previously liked Graham Swift. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2731481 to: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Paperback) by Jonathan Safran Foer
It was a while ago that I read this now. I thought it was incredibly unusual and beautiful. Some of the phrases literally breath-taking. Now i know this sounds a bit soppy but I'm 39 weeks pregnant and a bit over emotional! But a really rich, provocative, wonderfully thought through story, so much better than the self indulgent toss I've read recently. Tomorrow by Jonathan Swift can go eat shit and die! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2731581 to: Saturday (Paperback) by Ian McEwan
This didn't really do it for me. I found the main character very pompous and hard to relate to so i didn't care too much what happened to him. There was an effective air of menace near the end but some of the description was so dense i found myself skipping.
Bit too smug. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2732259 to: On Beauty (Paperback) by Zadie Smith
A load of inflated arse. It's an 'achievement' book but so up itself. It made me dislike her. Having said that i did finish it and admire some bits. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2731992 to: Disgrace (Paperback) by J.M. Coetzee
Like Money, this is a brilliant example of characterisation through dialogue and thought. The main character is so dislikeable but you still feel empathy for him. With very sparse (brutal at times) language the author depicts the wasteland (mental and physical) so clearly.
It's a corker. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2731969 to: Money (Paperback) by Martin Amis
This is a great big corpulent lavish gross book. John Self is a repulsive character but strangely likeable. I was blown away by the characterising language. The book is so powerful it's like a force of nature. By the way i know that last sentence is a terrible cliche. ]]>