The worst thing about watching an iconic tv show 15 years after it finished is not having anyone to obsess over it with. I saw the first 2 seasons of The worst thing about watching an iconic tv show 15 years after it finished is not having anyone to obsess over it with. I saw the first 2 seasons of The Sopranos when they were released, then moved to Belgium and missed the rest of them. The impending Many Saints of Newark movie release finally got me back to The Sopranos and it was even better than I remembered. I watched the whole show in 2 weeks and loved it (even the ending). I’ve really enjoyed following up my binge-watching with this book. The authors have really interesting takes on each episode, and the interviews with creator David Chase are fascinating. The book ends with Chase’s moving eulogy for James Gandolfini, who may now be my favourite actor. If you loved the show you may well enjoy this book too.
Living in Belgium and not understanding the tv broke me of the tv-watching habit so I haven’t watched many shows in the past 2 decades. The Sopranos has inspired me to add Breaking Bad and The Wire to my list though and I’ll buy any books these guys have written about those shows too. ...more
Scrolling through reviews on this book, I feel I should state at the outset that I’ve actually read it so my rating is based on my opinion of the bookScrolling through reviews on this book, I feel I should state at the outset that I’ve actually read it so my rating is based on my opinion of the book, not my opinion of JK Rowling’s opinions :) Also, I think the newspaper articles I’ve read trying to link JKR’s opinions on trans folks (which don’t align with my own opinions) to the plot of the book are really reaching - this book didn’t seem to be making anyone the bad guy based on their genders or sexual preferences.
Comoran and Robin are hired to investigate the 40 year old mystery of a woman’s disappearance. I won’t say anything more as I’d rather let readers discover the rest by themselves, but it’s a fascinating case and I didn’t resent any of the 900-odd pages it took to solve. I’ve loved this series and this book is my favourite yet. Every book so far could probably have been edited for brevity (it was eye opening to watch the tv show distill each book into about 90 minutes) but I quite enjoyed all the wordiness and subplots - it feels like real detectives would also have to sift through minutiae to get to the answer. Looking through reviews of the book by people who actually read it, most people have discounted their rating a bit based on the wordiness, so perhaps I was more tolerant as I read it while on holiday with a lot of free time. I got a bit confused with keeping track of the large cast of characters, even though I tore through the book in a couple of days, so would imagine it is even more confusing if you’re only reading a few chapters a day. I will definitely give this one a reread at some point, just to see how many clues I missed in my first go (I had no idea whodunnit). I can’t wait to read the next instalment and hope this series has many more books....more
Man Jane Harper can write! This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read, with mysteries unwinding slowly against the brutal backdrop of the Australian Man Jane Harper can write! This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read, with mysteries unwinding slowly against the brutal backdrop of the Australian outback. Great characters and a riveting story, I highly recommend this one....more
At one stage in this book an advertising exec refers to “making zeitgeist his bitch”, which pretty much sums up many of Ben Elton’s books. Like many oAt one stage in this book an advertising exec refers to “making zeitgeist his bitch”, which pretty much sums up many of Ben Elton’s books. Like many of my other Elton favourites, this book dives deep into contemporary issues while managing to also be hilariously funny and incredibly on point. This time around Elton sets his sights on social media and it’s attendant lies and outrage. Elton has the ability to show all sides of an argument while pouring acid on extremists from all corners. Wildly funny and yet very thought provoking, this book is highly recommended....more
I’ve loved Ben Elton since Blackadder and have laughed hysterically through most of his books. There are few laughs in this book, loosely based aroundI’ve loved Ben Elton since Blackadder and have laughed hysterically through most of his books. There are few laughs in this book, loosely based around Elton’s own family history, but it is another masterpiece. Two twin brothers are born into a Jewish family in Berlin in 1920, on the same day as the Nazi party commences its rise to power. The story follows them through a childhood overshadowed by growing hatred of Jews by the state, which tears apart families and friendships. The plot is clever, the characters fascinating and the way Elton draws Berlin through the gradual spiral into evil is both riveting and horrifying.
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