Disgusting characters get there comeuppance but don’t answer the question of, what was the point?
Of course the 4 white guys commit genocide against a tribe of ape men, but why do they randomly need to find diamonds, and why does it have a framing of a love story when neither character seems interested in the other and neither seem to care that much when it doesn’t work out?
The last quarter of the book can be hard to follow when the story kicks up a gear but otherwise sci-fi at its best.
The story and plot get lost in the prose leaving everything feeling empty.
Only for the scholars, not Tolkiens best work as a translator even if it is technically a “good” translation. The commentary focuses mostly on the difficulties of translating however the historical details are interesting in placing it in context.
By leaving Ned as a shadowy background character it allows the story to explore the context and nuance of Ned’s life. Excellent way for younger readers to learn about this time in Australian history.
The horror version of Jurrasic Park. Not as well written and aimless at times but makes up for it in some very tense encounters.
A straightforward retelling of the most famous Norse myths. We’ll executed to provide a threw line through out all the seperate tales.
Fantastic look at first nation experiences through shifting the story into a SF setting. Due to the research and family history of Coleman the story feels all to real and horrific with the ending being as sad and disturbing because of the parallels drawn throughout the book.
Didn't finish reading. Ignores the vast differences in stories across Australia. Does a half job of telling the tales, not written in prose but doesn't describe the meaning of the stories.
There is a lot to get past in this book, the hysterical narator/nephew, all knowing uncle, mute, resourceful guide, the lack of character progression, the lists of flora, fuana & minerals, and diversions to show of at the time cutting edge science. But for all that it moves fast and always wanting to know what happens next. Ruined only by the lack of a compelling conclusion.
What is it like to fall through the cracks of society? To have no family, no friends, go to work, go home repeat. What does it look like to deal with a traumatic childhood event while falling through the cracks of society?
An intimate book without a wasted word in telling Eleanor's journey of discovery. Excellent.
An intimate book without a wasted word in telling Eleanor's journey of discovery. Excellent.
An excellent study on what it means that Jesus didn't just die bit was crucified and why that was crucial to the message he brought to earth. The book is a very difficult to read being dense with jargon and wandering side tangents.
There is some fascinating information among the many meandering diversions but it is hard to get past the language and how far he wanders from the point.
The biography of Hilary does a far better job of putting his actions and life into context than the section on Martin. Martin himself is rarely seen and never heard from, he is left almost completely out of his own story.
The biography of Hilary does a far better job of putting his actions and life into context than the section on Martin. Martin himself is rarely seen and never heard from, he is left almost completely out of his own story.
A retelling of the Greek myths by Steven Fry. He takes the original stories, and rewrites them into a coherent narrative while updating the language to be contemporary while providing asides with different / roman versions. A well told collection that are both familiar and a reminder of how different life and outlook was 2500 years ago.
Sometimes something comes along at exactly the right time to explain and describe what you are going through. As I move into the next phase of life this collection helps put structure and words what I am experiencing. One of the first collections of poetry that has truly moved me.
Not what I was expecting at all. Much darker and deeper, more philosophical. What happens when human desires and emotions are decoupled from human biology.
Masterpiece of SciFi, alien and human at the same time. The character development is subtle but constant so that when the curtain is pulled back at the end things make sense and you don't feel cheated.
Like all Banks novels there are the cheap secondary character deaths that feel like they should have more impact story wise and for the main characters.
Like all Banks novels there are the cheap secondary character deaths that feel like they should have more impact story wise and for the main characters.
A strange tale, a love story where there is not much evidence of why they love each other? I can see why it was shocking for its time but divorced from it's time it is just a tale of annoying kids in young love do terrible things. Short but still manages to outstay its welcome and finishes rather abruptly.
A nice addition to the series. Meyers is good at throwing the characters into new situations to stop the series becoming stale. The charachters are a bit 2 dimensional but there is just enough depth and growth to keep the story moving.
Moved very quickly through the year of the 4 emperors and felt a little contrived in place with some very unlikable characters but it is a good read and there is always a fun little interlude around the corner.
The final chapter in the Commonwealth Saga.
A fitting conclusion to both the Fallers series and the Commonwealth books as a whole. Like all Peter Hamilton books the ending is weak but the rest is gripping and fast paced. There was some nice cameos to round out the story. An enjoyable if lighter story compared to some of the others in the series.
A fitting conclusion to both the Fallers series and the Commonwealth books as a whole. Like all Peter Hamilton books the ending is weak but the rest is gripping and fast paced. There was some nice cameos to round out the story. An enjoyable if lighter story compared to some of the others in the series.
This felt like a book without an audience. You need to be very familiar with the discworld to get the most out of those sections but if you are there will be nothing new. On the other hand if you have any interest in historical folk tales you wont get much out of the book either as there isn't much time or depth spent on the original tales. The book overstays it's welcome and seems a bit pointless overall.
A fascinating set of interlinked short stories. So much depth giving hints of the wider solar system wide society while remaining anchored to the central station, the unspoken heart of the stories. There is such a sense of space never directly explained but sketched out by the stories that are told and how they interact with the Station. Beautiful prose and makes the most of its narrative limits. Not all the stories hit but the imagery and world building make up for any failings in the plots.
If you are interested in the state of ichthyology in the 1860's this is the book of you. Every new area visited starts with an extensive list of the flora & fauna of the ocean and as far as I can tell is the most scientifically accurate part of the book, the rest sadly does not hold up as well. This mostly feels like a research project hung over a very loose plot. There is little story or plot and no character development to be found. The central mystery of the who and why of Nemo is only resolved in the most superficial manner. While it is somewhat interesting to see what was state of the art in the mid 19 century this is a story crying out for an abridged version.
Great story. About 1/5 of the artwork is fantastic, the rest is mediocre to terrible. The rest was exactly what I like about Hellboy, action, humour, good A plot story arc and more information about Hellboys back story woven organically into the tale.
One of the best discworld novels. It uses it setting to great effect to look at how we view ourselves and others and how different belief systems can live together.