|
April 21
|
|
Raphael
gave
 
to:
Jarhead (Paperback)
by Anthony Swofford
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in March, 2008
Raphael said:
"Well, this book is a honest, brutal look at an American Marine's life during the Gulf war of the early 1990's in Kuwait. It details the daily existence - the trials, physical, psychological and spiritual of an average Marine in training and eventual...more
Well, this book is a honest, brutal look at an American Marine's life during the Gulf war of the early 1990's in Kuwait. It details the daily existence - the trials, physical, psychological and spiritual of an average Marine in training and eventually in combat. The author wrote this book with the intention of giving a window into the world of the marines - but it is much more than that. It details the struggles which this soldier has internally - this makes the book powerful and worth reading. Not the nicest topic but it rings with authenticity and clarity. This book is not an easy one to digest - it takes awhile to process. Oh, I understand that it has been rewritten and released as a Hollywood movie (I haven't seen it yet.) but, I don't know how they would deal with the "theatre of the mind" in a Hollywood blockbuster without it getting too patriotic, sentimental, or anti-military....less
"
|
|
January 10
|
|
Raphael
gave
to:
Vinyl Cafe Diaries (Mass Market Paperback)
by Stuart McLean
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in January, 2008
Raphael said:
"This author is a gifted storyteller on the CBC radio network in Canada. On Saturday mornings his show "the Vinyl Cafe" contains a story that has the characters of this book.
It is extremely funny, touching, and will leave one with a sore...more
This author is a gifted storyteller on the CBC radio network in Canada. On Saturday mornings his show "the Vinyl Cafe" contains a story that has the characters of this book.
It is extremely funny, touching, and will leave one with a sore side from laughter. I literally had tears rolling down my face with laughter at some of the stories....less
"
|
|
December 18
|
|
Raphael
gave
to:
Varieties of Disturbance: Stories (Paperback)
by Lydia Davis
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
Raphael said:
"This book is a trip. It doesn't really fall into any "neat" category of literature. It seems to be a stream of consciousness which, to my mind, jumps all over the place. To be sure, it is well written and many of the pieces are thoughtfu...more
This book is a trip. It doesn't really fall into any "neat" category of literature. It seems to be a stream of consciousness which, to my mind, jumps all over the place. To be sure, it is well written and many of the pieces are thoughtful and thought provoking, it left me wondering "what is the point of this" a number of times. So, do I recommend it? Hmm, probably best left for the real literary types who enjoy highly crafted sentences and value language for the sake of language....less
"
|
|
Raphael
gave
to:
Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Hardcover)
by Robert Harris
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in December, 2007
Raphael said:
"This book covers the rise of the now famous Cicero (yes, the famed orator) through the eyes of his slave, Tiro. Tiro tells the story of his master - not as an equal but as an educated helper to his master. It gives insight into the way that Rome fu...more
This book covers the rise of the now famous Cicero (yes, the famed orator) through the eyes of his slave, Tiro. Tiro tells the story of his master - not as an equal but as an educated helper to his master. It gives insight into the way that Rome functioned - with its politics, and various factions. One gets a good sense of how things really worked in Roman society, politics and democracy. Highly enjoyable reading....less
"
|
|
December 10
|
|
Raphael
gave
to:
Lives Of The Saints (Paperback)
by Nino Ricci
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in December, 2007
Raphael said:
"This book gives me a greater understanding of the Italian, Canadian immigrant experience. The everyday lives of people who left Italy just after WWII ended is explored and brought to life. I enjoyed the narrative of the main character, a young Ital...more
This book gives me a greater understanding of the Italian, Canadian immigrant experience. The everyday lives of people who left Italy just after WWII ended is explored and brought to life. I enjoyed the narrative of the main character, a young Italian boy who sees the world around himself changing rapidly. Old habits, the old quasi-pagan worldview with a Roman Catholic veneer was fascinating to read about. It was an interesting read....less
"
|
|
November 19
|
|
Raphael
gave
to:
Life of Pi (Mass Market Paperback)
by Yann Martel
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in October, 2007
Raphael said:
"While this book is well written and has won numerous awards, I still have trouble with the way this author treats religion. He mixes all the religions of the world into something that suits the world of today -one which has no objective truth. Whil...more
While this book is well written and has won numerous awards, I still have trouble with the way this author treats religion. He mixes all the religions of the world into something that suits the world of today -one which has no objective truth. While it comes across as being "spiritual" it is really a synthesis of religions. One can understand why so many people are drawn to this tome, but ultimately it is an unsatisfactory confection....less
"
|
|
Raphael
gave
to:
Pompeii: A Novel (Paperback)
by Robert Harris
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in November, 2007
Raphael said:
"This book is engrossing, interesting, and quite well written. It does contain a minor 'adult' scene which will offend some readers. This book gives an insight into the thinking and daily lives of the people who lived in Pompeii when the volcano erup...more
This book is engrossing, interesting, and quite well written. It does contain a minor 'adult' scene which will offend some readers. This book gives an insight into the thinking and daily lives of the people who lived in Pompeii when the volcano erupted. The story line is engaging and helps to pull all the characters together. I've read other books by this author and they are also quite good....less
"
|
