Sean - The United States (14 books)

Sean made a comment on his review of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

"Why are you commenting on walking out on tips? What the heck? "

Sean rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Metamorphosis
by Franz Kafka

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Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon

recommended for: anyone who has a soul

read in January, 2005

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

This book I read in a day. I was in a Chapters bookstore in Toronto (that's like Barnes and Noble to the Americans in the crowd) and anyway I was just browsing around, trying to kill time. When suddenly I saw this nice display of red books with an up...more This book I read in a day. I was in a Chapters bookstore in Toronto (that's like Barnes and Noble to the Americans in the crowd) and anyway I was just browsing around, trying to kill time. When suddenly I saw this nice display of red books with an upturned dog on the cover. Attracted as always to bright colours and odd shapes, I picked it up. It's only about 250 pages or so. I read the back cover and was intrigued. I flipped through the pages and noticed that it had over One Million chapters. I was doubly intrigued.

So I walked over to the far wall of the bookstore to sit and begin to read a few pages. I always do this to ensure that I don't waste what little money I have on a book possessing nothing more than a flashy cover. (I do the same at the cinema - if I don't like the first 20 minutes, I get a refund. Restaurants, too: if I don't like the first ten bites, I walk out on the bill).

This is a book written by a Child Developmental Psychologist - I think that's the right term... - anyway, a doctor who works with mentally or physically challenged youngsters. The novel itself is a first person tale written by a high-functioning, mentally challenged boy in England who wakes up one morning to find his neighbor's dog dead on his lawn. The boy's teacher suggests he should write about the incident, which he eagerly sets out to do. So we have his first "novel", "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". He plays Inspector and tries to solve the mystery as Sherlock Holmes would do...

Of course, if he's going to write a book, that means he can take control. He hates the way other books have chapter numbers that increase sequentially (1,2,3). He prefers prime numbers and will number his chapters in sequential primes - hence, by the end of the book, you're reading chapter 123,314,124 or whatever (I ain't no math guy ;)

Now then, he also writes about other things in his life and through his perspective you get some tear-jerking moments of true, unobstructed humanity: the way his parents broke up because of his state, how he has all these dreams about being someone great and going to a top college, even though you know that his situation will never really allow it.

Anyway. I read this book cover to cover sitting on the floor of that Chapters bookstore. By the end of it I was absolutely bawling my eyes out. Never cried so much in my life. In fact, as I type this and think back on that story, I'm dripping on my keyboard (and I'm at my office!). However - these are tears of joy. The boy does it. He can do anything. It's the most uplifting book I've ever read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels anything deep down inside.(less)

Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Name of the Rose
by Umberto Eco

recommended for: religio-conspiratorio-intellectuals everywhere

read in January, 2006

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Think Da Vinci Code, but smart. Really smart. Umberto Eco is brilliant.

Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Atlas Shrugged
by Ayn Rand

recommended for: all humanists

read in August, 1999

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What if the liberal capitalists acted in the same fashion as the communists and started to unionize? What if management made themselves like the workers? Utter collapse. Everyone blames the wealthy, the upper class, the management, the brilliant, the...more

Sean rated a book 2 of 5 stars

Franny and Zooey
by J.D. Salinger

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Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Nine Stories
by J.D. Salinger

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Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger

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Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar Wilde

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Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Fountainhead
by Ayn Rand

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Sean made a comment on his review of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time "Why are you commenting on walking out on tips? What the heck? "
Jul 07, 2008 07:35am · see review
Sean rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 26, 2007 05:55pm
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon recommended for: anyone who has a soul read in January, 2005	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Aug 29, 2007 08:32am · see review
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco recommended for: religio-conspiratorio-intellectuals everywhere read in January, 2006	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Think Da Vinci Code, but smart. Really smart. Umberto Eco is brilliant.
Aug 29, 2007 08:10am · see review
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand recommended for: all humanists read in August, 1999	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
What if the liberal capitalists acted in the same fashion as the communists and started to unionize? What if management made themselves like the workers? Utter collapse. Everyone blames the wealthy, the upper class, the management, the brilliant, the...more
Aug 29, 2007 08:07am · see review
Sean rated a book 2 of 5 stars Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 29, 2007 07:49am
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 29, 2007 07:49am
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 29, 2007 07:49am
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 29, 2007 07:48am
Sean rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 29, 2007 07:48am

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