Colin Marks's Blog, page 19
January 22, 2015
Review: The Stepford Wives
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Good writing, the build up was well crafted, but, even 40 years later with the huge advance in technology, the plausibility is distracting.
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January 11, 2015
Review: Station Eleven
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in place of an honest review.
Straight off, without faffing around, I’ll confess that I loved this book. When I first heard about it, I thought, “ah, the world needs another trilogy chronicling a dystopian future.” Luckily this is just a single book, dense with wonderful characters, armed with a long list of positive reviews, so indeed it seems the world did need one more.
Emily...
November 8, 2014
Review: The Story Of Lucy Gault
The Story Of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
‘The Story of Lucy Gault’ was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize way back in 2002, and like anything shortlisted for a prestigious award, you know the quality will be there: the writing was crisp, the characters unique and a well defined voice carried the novel.
And that’s where my problem lies.
This was a good story, a statement of how multiple lives can be affected by a single incident, made in the heat of the moment. It wou...
October 6, 2014
Review: Full Dark, No Stars
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This novella collection was a mixed bag. All were written with Stephen King’s usual relaxed and readable style, but a few felt lazy, as though he rushed them down without exploring and developing the what-if’s like he normally does. Fair Extension is a good example. The story, even brief as it was, plodded towards a predictable ending. That said, it’s still Stephen King; when he’s not at his best he’s still yards ahead of the pack.
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September 12, 2014
Review: Jeeves and the Wedding Bells
Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in place of an honest review.
I must confess I’ve never read Wodehouse. He’s one of the authors who’s persistently remained midway on my to-read list, keeping Chekhov and Elmore Leonard company. One day, if I can resist slipping in other authors, I’m sure they’ll climb to the top. My only history with Jeeves and Wooster comes from the television series back in the...
August 3, 2014
Review: Digging to America
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read Anne Tyler’s ‘Accidental Tourist’ many years ago, so long ago that I wouldn’t be able to remember the plot if the film hadn’t refreshed my memory. But one thing I clearly remember about that novel was quality of the writing – how easy it was to read and how each word was perfectly placed.
‘Digging to America’ has that same familiar style, as though it’s being narrated by someone you’ve known since childhood. This is a bigger acco...
July 3, 2014
June 11, 2014
Review: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was really looking forward to this book. I reread Hitchhikers recently and have watched the Stephen Mangan’s Dirk Gently production and loved them both. As an aside, I provided the crew’s electricity for the fish and chip shop scene. A guy knocked on my door one night with a power lead in his hand and asked if he could plug it in – Dirk Gently would’ve loved the interconnectedness. Although this read like a ty...
May 22, 2014
April 22, 2014
Review: Look Who’s Back
Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in place of an honest review.
It’s easy to take offence at the concept of ‘Look Who’s Back’ (Hitler miraculously regenerates in modern-day Berlin) but read it first before making a judgement. Timur Vermes does an excellent job of ridiculing the Nazi ideals while staying within Hitler’s thought process. He broaches on the darker elements of World War II and the horrors committed by the Nazi regime, yet he always treats those events with dignity by highlighting the ridiculousness of Hitler’s agenda. This is a humorously dry satire, very well written (and translated) and well worth a read. Top marks!
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