Philip Stein Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Yes, I agree, it was like a companion piece to Dead Famous, wasn't it? My only problem with Chart Throb was that it went on for far too long, so that it really did feel like a 16-week series of The X Factor! Maybe that was the point, but I could have done with 100 pages knocked off. The lack of a secondary plot, which Dead Famous had with the murder mystery to keep things bubbling, was the problem I think. I was interested in reading Blind Faith, as I thought from the blurb it was about, well, faith - a subject interesting to me - but Eddie's lukewarm comments kind of put me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 Dead Famous was good, but I suppose the thing that I found annoying about Blind Faith was that he was attacking the same things, but with a slant. The language of the survivors of the big flood was very much Big Brother language. "Bigging up" & that sort of thing. It was just a bit predictable. I liked The First Casualty & the Friends Reunited one (also full of the same targets btw). The First Casualty was interesting in that it was a departure from his usual genre. I agree with Phillip about Stark which was why I qualified my answer about which was his best. I wonder how it would stack up now? Especially as I'm sick of the "green" subject. I think from memory that once I got over the surprise of the hero of Gridlock having cerebral palsy, I enjoyed Gridlock more than Stark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 I should add that I've just finished listening to an unabridged Angels in the Gloom by Anne Perry. In the house I have an early Harlan Coben on the go (Fade away I think) and in the car I'm listening to The Hobbit. Both unabridged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 Sadly I've finished Dissolution. I feel I may be a bit of a C J Sansom bore so I won't dwell on it other that to say that I still have one to read; Dark Fire. I honestly can't recommend the series enough. They are so, so good. I'm not sure what to read next. I'll have a look a bit later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 I started When We Were Orphans last night. This is the third Ishiguro(sp?) I've read and each one has been told in the first person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Stein Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Just like the other three! - Ishiguro specialises in first person narrators, usually of the less-than-reliable variety. Christopher Banks in When We Were Orphans is probably the least reliable of them all. Will be interested to know what you make of it, Eddie; it's one of Ishiguro's stranger books, along with The Unconsoled. One friend of mine absolutely hated it but when discussing it with him, I felt he was coming at it from the wrong angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 Just like the other three! - Ishiguro specialises in first person narrators, usually of the less-than-reliable variety. Christopher Banks in When We Were Orphans is probably the least reliable of them all. Will be interested to know what you make of it, Eddie; it's one of Ishiguro's stranger books, along with The Unconsoled. One friend of mine absolutely hated it but when discussing it with him, I felt he was coming at it from the wrong angle. So far I like it. One of the things I like about Ishiguro is the way he never lays anything out for. Facts just emerge. You're never told Banks is a detective, but instead something like "my last case was an easy one". His last novel was the same. It's almost assumed that the reader knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Stein Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 You're never told Banks is a detective, but instead something like "my last case was an easy one". Ah, but is he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 Ah, but is he? You're worse than me. I'm always plot spoiling my wife's current book if I've already read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Stein Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Sorry, didn't mean to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 Ah, but is he? Philip, you are such a tease. I really enjoyed it. It was a little strange in places, such as when Banks is taken back to his childhood home. He's an odd fellow generally - pompous mostly. But I thought it was very good. Brothers Karamazov next. See you in a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 It seems to have taken forever, but I finally finished The Brothers Karamazov last night. In places I thought it was great, for example the dealing with Illyusha's (sp?) illness & a couple of speeches from Ivan. But overall I felt it was too long and overly melodramatic. I really enjoyed Crime & Punishment so was a bit disappointed that I didn't think the same of this one. There were some interesting things in it, but hmmm, it was hard work. To contrast, I've gone for an easy & funny read - Driving Big Davie by Colin Bateman. The latest I think in the Dan Starkey series. The first of which I read many moons ago; Divorcing Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 I've recently read Driving Big Davie & the new Inspector Banks. I've just started Call Me the Breeze by Patrick McCabe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted December 6, 2008 Author Share Posted December 6, 2008 Hello all. Been on a sabbatical. I've been doing lots of reading & listening. I've just finished on audio Case of Exploding Mangoes which I'm reviewing for http://www.soundcommentary.com/ I've just finished reading Monstrous Regiment and have finally started the new P. D. James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.