An audiobook version of this classic novel, read by Russell Tovey, who does a fantastic job with the narration.
The titular Dorian Gray is a young dandAn audiobook version of this classic novel, read by Russell Tovey, who does a fantastic job with the narration.
The titular Dorian Gray is a young dandy who has a portrait painted by his friend Basil, and after influence from his other friend Lord Henry, wishes that the painting would age in place of himself, that he could stay forever youthful and beautiful.
He then proceeds to live a life of self-indulgent hedonism and cruelty, and the painting mysteriously changes to reflect the evolving ugliness of his soul.
The story idea is great, and the eventual turn about halfway/two-thirds through where he starts to face the conequences of his behaviour is good, but the first half is a sickening love-letter to selfishness, and even when you know he'll get his commupance, its a lot to wade through the self-obsessed, shallow, sexist drivel that the story starts with.
A two-star that turns into a three-star by the end....more
I listened to this on audiobook, after my bestie recommended it as one of her favourite books.
It follows the flashback story and mental collapse of EsI listened to this on audiobook, after my bestie recommended it as one of her favourite books.
It follows the flashback story and mental collapse of Esther Greenwood, an excelling academic with an internship at a New York magazine. Despite the prestige of her opportunities, she is lacklustre and emotionally disengaged, and as things in her life take a turn for the worse, her mental health declines into a serious depressive suicidal episode.
Reading as someone who had similar lows in their teen years, I found this almost uncomfortably relatable. Even if I didn't know that the author sadly committed suicide a month after publication, it's clear this is written by someone who has experienced serious emotional turmoil. It's very well written in that regard, with clarity of throught communicating the complicated dark feelings of depression. I found the writing gets more confused as Esther's episode deepens, which works for the theming but is less enjoyable from a reading perspective.
Overall I enjoyed this, and I would reocommend it, though with a big warning that it could be triggering to anyone who is not in a stable mental state....more
Doctor Zhivago is the classic story of star-crossed lovers set against the backdrop of the Russian revolution.
The story follows the titular Yuri ZhivDoctor Zhivago is the classic story of star-crossed lovers set against the backdrop of the Russian revolution.
The story follows the titular Yuri Zhivago, from the death of his mother in his childhood, through to his life as a doctor, his marriage, and his entanglement in the revolution. All the while, his path repeatedly crosses that of Lara, who captivates his attention and heart.
I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Phillip Madoc, and I have to say it’s a splendid rendition. The voices he does are fantastic and bring the story alive.
The story is fairly charming, but sometimes has a few too many coincidences. That the huge cast of characters are all somehow connected is initially interesting, but by the end it feels like there must only be 30 people in Russia, such is the extent of everyone-knowing-everyone.
For a romance story there’s not a lot of romance. It’s often bogged down with politics and melodrama. And the ending is fairly abrupt. But I did enjoy it. Recommend the audiobook version for sure. ...more
I listened to this as a dramatised audiobook, with a full cast and atmospheric sound effects (and a lot of neighing).
Black Beauty is the classic storI listened to this as a dramatised audiobook, with a full cast and atmospheric sound effects (and a lot of neighing).
Black Beauty is the classic story of a horse’s life, from privileged birth through various owners and hardships. It’s fairly charming, and the audiobook adds a good level of realism and characterisation.
The book has quite the unsubtle agenda though. It’s very pro-horse and pro-religion, with a sharp contrast between the good, the bad and the careless. It got a bit hard to swallow, with the good ones being a bit too holier-than-thou.
I enjoyed the audiobook a lot but I do wonder if it would have had the same effect if I’d read it in written form. ...more
'Lord of the Flies' is one of those classics that everyone reads in school. Except I didn't. So I knew absolutely nothing about it.
The story follows t'Lord of the Flies' is one of those classics that everyone reads in school. Except I didn't. So I knew absolutely nothing about it.
The story follows the fates of a group of young boys who, after a plane crash during an unspecified war, end up on an uninhabited island in the Pacific. They try to organise themselves to survive and attract rescue, but end up in a battle against their own freedom and paranoia.
I wasn't expecting this book to be as dark as it is. It's very dark! I didn't find any of the character likable, but their plight was engaging and I found myself getting drawn into the mystery of the story.
Good book, I can see why it's a classic but it left me feeling a bit uneasy. I think I enjoyed it without actually liking it? Peculiar experience!
(Also I listened to the Audible version and the narration was quite spiffing.)...more
Agatha Christie was one of my mother’s favourite authors. My mum loved a crime mystery, and she was partial to Christie and in particular the adventurAgatha Christie was one of my mother’s favourite authors. My mum loved a crime mystery, and she was partial to Christie and in particular the adventures of Hercule Poirot. I’d never read any myself, not being the biggest fan of crime stories, but wanted to read at least one, and this being arguably her most famous novel seemed like the one to go for.
I listened to the Audible audiobook, expertly narrated by David Suchet aka actual Poirot off the telly. His voice is so recognisable as the Belgian detective but he also does a stellar job bringing the rest of the multinational cast to life.
Anyway. The story. Upon receiving to summons to return to London, Hercule Poirot boards the Orient Express train from Istanbul to ol’ Blighty. What could possibly go wrong? (Spoilers: there’s a murder on the orient express. Shocking.) Poirot investigates the passengers to figure out the mystery of the murder.
The story is good. It’s a good mystery in that it gives you all the hints you need along the way to figure it all out, but only actually seems comes together when Poirot himself makes his deductions, but you can see that he’s made his deductions from information the reader also had access to, so nothing seems “pulled out of a hat” and contrived. I will say the ending seemed very abrupt though. That’s probably my only criticism.
Good novel. Would recommend the audiobook version for added characterisation and charm. ...more
So my review for this is similar to my reviews for the other installments in the series. Main critisisms are that it's too dialogue-driven, thougSigh.
So my review for this is similar to my reviews for the other installments in the series. Main critisisms are that it's too dialogue-driven, though admittedly less so than The Two Towers. I did like the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and the Scouring of the Shire but otherwise... yeah... the films do this material more justice....more
The Two Towers, second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was my favourite of the films. It had a good varied plot, a mix of a*long agonised sigh*
The Two Towers, second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was my favourite of the films. It had a good varied plot, a mix of action and emotion and was just plain good.
The book still technically contains all of that but its just. So. Slow.
There is so much dialogue. SO MUCH DIALOGUE. I listened to this in the car and I could do a full hours journey where literally nothing happens except people talking. It is so heavily reliant on dialogue to get the story across that it seriously lacks pace or engagement. The Battle of Helm's Deep, one of the best sequences in the film, is the most underwhelming battle sequence I've ever read. It doesn't carry any drama or tension.
This was so disappointing. The last few chapters in Shelob's Lair (which occurs in Return of the King in the film universe) was a bit better but it was too little too late. Hoping things improve in the next book but am not holding my breath....more
After quite enjoying The Hobbit audiobook, I figured I'd take the plunge and listen to the full Lord of the Rings trilogy proper. Hrm.
As I said in my After quite enjoying The Hobbit audiobook, I figured I'd take the plunge and listen to the full Lord of the Rings trilogy proper. Hrm.
As I said in my Hobbit review, I'm a big fan of the films. I was aware that some material was cut and changed and suchforth, and expected the book to be a lot more detailed. What I didn't expect was the book to open with a prologue entitled 'Concerning Hobbits' which helpfully explains what hobbits are, and less helpfully goes on to explain the history of the Hobbit colonisation of the Shire, their governance, how they discovered pipeweed... Which is to say that this book IS very detailed but is in abolsutely no hurry to get on with the plot.
It's very dialogue-driven. There are lots of conversations and songs, lots of exposition explaining the backstory and plot, but not a lot of... actual... plot. Well of course there is, but it happens very slowly with a lot of explanation all the way. Also it finishes a TINY BIT before the end of the film, so that's interesting. Very important plot point missed out that I assume will be right at the start of book 2..?
I can see why people love this. If you just want to get lost in a very well-thought-out fantasy world with an encyclopedic lore, it's excellent. The universe is strong and solid, and there's so much to explore. Though if you're in it for a thrilling fantasy epic, it'll take a while to get there. ...more
I've been a fan of the Tolkien universe since the Lord of the Rings films came out in 2001, and I made an attempt to read one of the LOTR books sometiI've been a fan of the Tolkien universe since the Lord of the Rings films came out in 2001, and I made an attempt to read one of the LOTR books sometime mid-film-trilogy but found it much too heavy and wordy for my teenage brain. I've watched the more recent Hobbit film trilogy and figured I should give the books another go. Since The Hobbit was the original children's book before The Lord of the Rings was conceived, I thought it'd be a logical and easier entryway into the series.
The Hobbit, as most know, is the story of Bilbo Baggins, who is recruited by Gandalf and a company of thirteern dwarves to be their 'burglar' and join them on their quest to reclaim their home and treasure from Smaug the dragon.
Only having the film adaptations to compare, it's a lot simpler than I expected. The Hobbit films seem to have inherited a lot of angst and grittiness from the preceding LOTR films that isnt really present in the book. It's actually a jolly romp from mischief to mischief as they travel to the Lonely Mountain, with ol' Bilbo getting them out of trouble time and again. It's cute but doesn't go too deep. Everything gets solved a bit too easily.
I imagine I would have LOVED this if I'd read it as a child. It's captivating and creative. I still enjoyed it as an adult, and in particular the audiobook narration was brilliant. There's a reason it's a classic....more
'To Build A Fire' is a short story of a man and his dog on their own in the Yukon, fighting to survive thJack London bingo: Yukon, cold, dogs. Check.
'To Build A Fire' is a short story of a man and his dog on their own in the Yukon, fighting to survive the cold.
I'm starting to think that no one does artic-cold stories like Mr London. It's atmospheric and tense, and the drama builds at a great pace. It's only short, too. I listened to an audiobook version (wonderfully narrated by Peter Hussman) and it lasted only 40 minutes. I sat through the whole thing clinging to hope of his survival whilst simultaneously going "dude you are SO dead".
Great story, deserves its classic status. Short too. No excuse not to read....more
A friend of mine was recently having a bookshelf clearout and asked if I wanted anything. I saw Slaughterhouse 5, and figured it was one of those bookA friend of mine was recently having a bookshelf clearout and asked if I wanted anything. I saw Slaughterhouse 5, and figured it was one of those books that seemed to be a classic but that is never read and knew nothing about. So why not?!
Slaughterhouse 5 follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, an American prisoner of war in WWII who survives the firebombing of Dresden and resumes an otherwise normal post-war life. The story jumps at random between random points in his timeline, which is jarring and confusing at first but eventually starts to flow and make sense and pieces of the puzzle start to fit together.
I liked it more than I expected to. It's a clever and witty delve into a post-traumatic experience as he tries to rationalise his horrific experiences and be at peace with what could never reasonably be understood. Very deep and insightful without being pretentious. Good read. ...more
Looking for a short Kindle book to read at work one day, I stumbled across this short story by Edgar Allen Poe. I've never read any of his work (the SLooking for a short Kindle book to read at work one day, I stumbled across this short story by Edgar Allen Poe. I've never read any of his work (the Simpsons episode featuring The Raven is about as far as I've gotten) so figured it was worth a brief foray into a literary classic.
It's dark. Macabre. Gosh-darned creepy. Well-written though, and weirdly engaging. Weird is an appropriate word for this. I like weird. Also very short so readable in a lunch break....more
This book, free on Kindle, was a book I had sat on my Kindle app on my phone for whenever I didn't have a physical book to hand.
It follows on from AlThis book, free on Kindle, was a book I had sat on my Kindle app on my phone for whenever I didn't have a physical book to hand.
It follows on from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with the same bizarre dream-like universe. It lacks the charm of the first book and is a bit irritating at times. Instead of being plain peculiar, the characters are brash and annoying. The story naturally doesn't make sense, but I don't fault it for that. It just wasn't very engaging or likeable....more
Animal Farm is a short novel, a thinly-veiled criticism of the Soviet regime.
It follows the story of the animals of the titular farm staging a revoluAnimal Farm is a short novel, a thinly-veiled criticism of the Soviet regime.
It follows the story of the animals of the titular farm staging a revolution against their human overlords, chasing them away so that they can rule themselves and control their own lives. They set out rules to be followed by their animal comrades, but as time goes on, these rules get changed and twisted until they no longer resemble the utopia that was once intended.
It's very cleverly written, and can be interpreted in any number of ways; the difference between revolutionary ideologies and realities; the ego of leadership; propaganda; censorship; communism; government lies. It's very clever indeed.
It's short too, so definitely essential reading....more
I knew surprisingly little about The Great Gatsby before reading this, other than that the name is now used as a by-word for 1920s glitz and glamour. I knew surprisingly little about The Great Gatsby before reading this, other than that the name is now used as a by-word for 1920s glitz and glamour.
The story, told from the view of one Nick Carroway, mostly follows a short period in the life of Jay Gatsby and in particular his long-time obsession with his sweetheart Daisy Buchanan. It's full of decadence and debauchery, with parties and secret affairs aplenty.
To be honest I didn't enjoy it much. I can see why people read this in schools; it's packed full of symbolism and theming and reading-between-the-lines, but I just didn't like it. The characters are all so vapid and unlikeable that I wanted to slap them and tell them to stop being so stupid. I didn't understand why I should care about any of these people and none of them seemed to have any real depth to their personalities.
It's a classic, sure, but I wasn't impressed....more
War and Peace is the classic historic masterpiece of Tolstoy, chronicling the invasion of Russia by Napoleon's French army in 18So. War and Peace, eh?
War and Peace is the classic historic masterpiece of Tolstoy, chronicling the invasion of Russia by Napoleon's French army in 1805 to 1812. The story focuses partly on the exploits of a few fictional noble Russian families; the Bezukhovs, the Rostovs, the Bolonskys, and the Kuragins. The rest of the book is devoted to descriptions of military movements and analysis.
Oh. My. God. There's a reason no one actually reads this. I'm not afraid of long books but Jesus Christ this needs an editor. An editor with hefty pruning shears. This book is unnecessarily long. It's full of lengthy clinical descriptions that don't benefit the imagination, and includes scene after scene of side-filler and pointless detail that doesn't relate to the main story, which I assume is included for richness and cultural context but feels like wading through a literary swamp.
I enjoyed the fictional family drama more than the military sections. The war scenes read like a history textbook with little poetry. There is also not an insignificant number of chapters devoted to historical analysis. If I wanted a history lesson, I'd read Wikipedia. The fictional scenes which depict actual historical figures feel like very awkward fanfiction. When half the book contains fictional Russians, splicing in a chapter from the point of view of Napoleon Bonaparte doesn't work.
That being said, while I had some interest in the social aspects of the story, the characters don't have much depth. All the women fall into two categories; shrill and vapid, or docile and self-sacrificing. The men have slightly more variation but the only standout unique personality is Pierre Bezukhov, who's story is interesting if only because it's different, even if he is as unlikeable and useless as possible. And it's a story with so many characters that it includes a page devoted to reminding you who everyone is (which you need when there are three Nickolays, two Andreys, and a lot of people with multiple names to refer to a single person). Even with the character list, I constantly lost track of who was who because everyone acts exactly the same.
A long review for a long book. Go figure. I'm glad I read it, if only for bragging rights, but I don't feel any more cultured for doing so, and I wouldn't recommend it. I started this in January and finished it in August, picking it up and putting it down, and reading 29 other books in the interim. That tells you how hard a slog this was. Man oh man. Still, how many people can say they actually read War and Peace? Yours truly now can! Huzzah!...more
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