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Nollaig

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    Derailed by James Siegel

    in Crime / Mystery / Thriller

    Posted · Edited by Nollaig

    derailed.jpg

     

    Derailed

    James Siegel

    (2003)

     

    Genre: Thriller

    Synopsis:

    Advertising director Charles Schine is just another New York commuter, regularly catching the 8.43 to work. But the day he misses his train is the day that changes his life. Catching the 9.05 instead, he can't help but be drawn by the sight of the person opposite. Lucinda Harris: Charming, beautiful and a seductively good listener, Charles finds himself instantly attracted. Their journeys into work become lunch dates and eventually lead to a rented room in a seedy hotel. They both know the risks they are taking, but suddenly their temptation turns horrifically sour, and their illicit liaison becomes caught up in something bigger, more dangerous, more brutally violent. Unable to talk to his partner or the police, Charles finds himself trapped in a world of dark conspiracy and psychological games.

    My thoughts: Derailed is a fast paced action thriller which is easy to read and you'll find yourself simply unable to put it down. The suspence does not let up for a moment, evoking a sense of a clock counting down towards whatever fate awaits Charles Schine - a fate which becomes increasingly bleak as his life unravels in a spectacularly gripping way. While the book begins in third person, it soon moves over to first person narrative which works wonders in this text; the whole story is a reminiscence on past events which are highly unlikely (and thus exciting to read.) The air of disbelief and irony permeating the narrator's tone as he decants upon the reader the particulars of his experience provides a way to believe the events in the story he tells. Any reader couldn't help but get wrapped up in the tale Charley Schine has to tell.

     

    The other characters, (who, understandably are not a central focus in the mind of a man whose world is falling apart) are not neglected and on reflection, this is probably another testament to the writing ability of the author. Charles' estranged wife Deanna seems distant and hard to get to know - understandably, she is after all estranged from the voice of narration. His daughter, Anna, terminally ill, is one of the initial sources of unhappiness that leads Charles to his doom. While I didn't dislike Anna, I could certainly feel Charles' burden and almost empathize with his need to look elsewhere for comfort. Everything about the novel is crafted to perfection to get the reader inside the mind of Charles Schine.

     

    The only problem I had with the book at all in fact was how dragged out the ending was. Perhaps it was just because I knew what was going to happen, and it took it's time getting there, but I still feel 20-30 pages less would have been good. All the same, it in no way detracts from the quality of the book as whole, which I would recommend to any fan of action thrillers.

     

    (A note for those who have read the book but not seen the movie - watch it. While Jennifer Aniston may not be the most perfect Lucinda, she does a great job and regardless, Clive Owen simply IS Charles Schine.) I had seen the movie Derailed prior to reading this book. As such, I already knew what was going to happen - and given that the book relies as much on it's twisting plot as on it's captivating characters, I was naturally wary that the book might be spoiled to some degree for me. And while I am disappointed I didn't get to read it without knowing what happens, it's certainly a credit to the author's ability that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of just reading the book anyway - it's just THAT well written.)

     

    9/10

    Nollaig's Reading Challenge

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted · Edited by Nollaig

    derailed.jpg

     

    Derailed

    James Siegel

    (2003)

     

    Genre: Thriller

    Synopsis:

    Advertising director Charles Schine is just another New York commuter, regularly catching the 8.43 to work. But the day he misses his train is the day that changes his life. Catching the 9.05 instead, he can't help but be drawn by the sight of the person opposite. Lucinda Harris: Charming, beautiful and a seductively good listener, Charles finds himself instantly attracted. Their journeys into work become lunch dates and eventually lead to a rented room in a seedy hotel. They both know the risks they are taking, but suddenly their temptation turns horrifically sour, and their illicit liaison becomes caught up in something bigger, more dangerous, more brutally violent. Unable to talk to his partner or the police, Charles finds himself trapped in a world of dark conspiracy and psychological games.

     

    Long Ramble: Derailed is a fast paced action thriller which is easy and read and you'll find yourself simply unable to put it down. The suspence does not let up for a moment, evoking a sense of a clock counting down towards whatever fate awaits Charles Schine - a fate which becomes increasingly bleak as his life unravels in a spectacularly gripping way. While the book begins in third person, it soon moves over to first person narrative. I'm not entirely sure why this method was employed, nor what purpose it really serves, except for a slight dissociation between characters it might encourage so as not to spoil part of the ending too early. Either way, the first person narrative works wonders in this text; the whole story is a reminiscience on past events which are highly unlikely (and thus exciting to read.) The air of disbelief and irony permeating the narrator's tone as he decants to the reader the particulars of his experience allows for way to believe the events in the story he tells. You need not suspend disbelief to engage with this surreal thriller, because the author voices that disbelief for you, and makes it a part of the story. Any reader couldn't help but get wrapped up in the tale Charley Schine has to tell.

     

    The other characters, (who, understandably are not a central focus in the mind of a man whose world is falling apart) are not neglected and while I didn't necessarily care for many of them to any great degree, they certainly weren't a hinderance to the book. On reflection, this is probably another testament to the writing ability of the author. Charles' estranged wife Deanna seems distant and hard to get to know - understandably, she is after all estranged from the voice of narration. His daughter, Anna, terminally ill and undergoing treatments at home, is one of the initial sources of unhappiness that leads Charles to his doom, in turning his attention away from his stressful family to the lovely Lucinda. While I didn't dislike Anna, I could certainly feel Charles' burden and almost empathize with his need to look elsewhere for comfort. Everything about the novel is crafted to perfection into the mind of Charles Schine. For the small role he plays, I still think Winston is probably my favourite character - especially in the movie. Watch out for him.

     

    I had seen the movie Derailed (Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston) prior to reading this book. As such, I already knew what was going to happen - and given that the book relies as much on it's twisting plot as on it's captivating characters, I was naturally wary that the book might be spoiled to some degree for me. And while I am disappointed I didn't get to read it without knowing what happens, it's certainly a credit to the author's ability that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of just reading the book anyway - it's just THAT well written. A note for those who have read the book but not seen the movie - watch it. While Jennifer Aniston may not be the most perfect Lucinda, she does a great job and regardless, Clive Owen simply IS Charley Schine. The only problem I had with the book at all in fact was how dragged out the ending was. The actual events are a great wrap-up, but I think the movie cut the scenes to perfection, where the book simply rambled on a little too much. Perhaps it was just because I knew what was going to happen, and it took it's time getting there, but I still feel 20-30 pages less would have been good. All the same, it in no way detracts from the quality of the book as whole, which I would recommend to any fan of action thrillers.

     

    9/10

    MissWhitlock's Reads 2009 :)

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    I'm delighted you enjoyed this MissWhitlock! I thought you might feel that way about the ending, as I notice you're not one for happyish/soppyish endings when they don't really fit, but I'm glad it didn't spoil the overall experience of the book for you. :blush:

    Calling all Jodi Picoult fans! (free draw for book)

    in Book Buying

    Posted · Edited by Nollaig

    Okay people, I now want to know what it is, I love guessing games :)

     

    So, here's the list of everything IT IS NOT:

    My Sister's Keeper

    Handle With Care

    Songs Of The Humpback Whale

    Change Of Heart

    The Tenth Circle

    Picture Perfect

    Salem Falls

    Second Glance

    Plain Truths

    The Pact

     

    That's based on everyone's guesses so far.

    That correct Inver?

     

    So get your thinking caps on people!! I'm curious!

    I just wikied a list of Jodi's books, and I'm not mentioning titles that remain because I'm not guessing. But there's only about 4 books left to pick from!

    Habits while reading

    in General Book Discussions

    Posted

    Book marks and things....

     

    I have only two bookmarks, as I usually can't afford them, but they were both gifts from people on this forum and I use those all the time.

     

    I have to admit, when I'm just putting a book down for a little while (and intend to come back to it), I leave it open face down at the right page. Kell, never lends me your books :readingtwo:

     

    I never bend spines or pages if I can help it though, and if I had no bookmark I'd just memorise the page, chapter and last event in the book - I usually remember one of the three and can find my way accordingly! :lol:

    Nollaig's Reading Challenge

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted · Edited by Nollaig

    die.jpg

    Jenny Downham

    Before I Die

    (2007)

     

    Genre: Young Adult

    Synopsis: Tessa has just a few months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is sex. Released from the constraints of 'normal' life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time finally runs out.

     

    In-Depth Ramble: This novel is described on the back cover as being 'life-affirming, uplifting, joyous.' I'm not sure who described it as such, but they weren't reading the same book as me. A lot about the book points to the author's being in possession of some degree of talent - the general structuring of the book, the easy readability and quite often the use of language. It's the sort of novel that will leave you scribbing down quotes for future reference, because the author really does display a certain way with words. The structuring of the ending is absolutely superb, and reading the 300 pages prior to it is almost worth it just to get caught up in how the end is portrayed. Unfortunately however, the novel suffers from a distinct lack of character depth. In some parts, it also lacks serious credibility. These are pretty major problems for a book that's trying to be heart-wrenching about a dying girl.

     

    The main character, 16-year-old Tessa, is already suffering from something that the vast majority of readers aren't going to be able to relate to - terminal illness. So the trick with Tessa is to portray a girl who is in every other way possible to relate to, so that the reader can to some degree join in her suffering and mourn her loss. That's not really what happens, however. Tessa has serious moodswings (understandably, though not necessarily relatably) and generally ends up wishing the worst on everybody around her at some point. It's very difficult to feel sympathy for a hateful person, even when they're dying. But beyond that, Tessa never really seems to develop a personality of her own. Yes, the language used in much of the novel seems beautiful, but it never seems to be coming from a sixteen-year-old girl, so it's difficult to attribute it to her. The novel also notes on it's back cover that, 'sometimes the most unexpected things become important.' Yeah, when you can't out of your bed, and realise 'oh **** I'm really going to die.' It's hard to like a person whose death has to be pretty much upon them for them to realise what actually matters in life - most people figure it out a bit sooner.

     

    The next best thing would have been to create secondary characters so loveable that even if the reader doesn't mourn Tessa's passing, that they would feel a degree of sympathy for the loss suffered by her family and friends. This doesn't really happen either. The characters all seem abstract, incomplete. They seem to have no real personality, and serve only to move the plot forward. Tessa's relationship with Adam seems completely unlikely and unbelieveable, we don't get a real sense of the difficulty the father has, the awkwardness of the mum, or any kind of comprehension from the little brother that his big sister is dying. In the end, what becomes saddening about the whole affair is not WHO is dying or WHO is being left behind, but rather that anybody is dying at all. So while the novel is readable, flowery in places and has a successful ending, it's not the sort of thing I would recommend to anybody to run out and buy - give it a glance if you've a few hours to spare.

     

    Rating: 6/10

    'Before I Die' by Jenny Downham

    in Children's / Young Adult

    Posted

    I read this at last, over the last two days.

     

    I'm not sure what I make of it really - it's very well written in parts - the structuring, some of the phrases and particularly the way in which the ending is done are all superb, and hint at definate talent on the author's part. There's one major flaw though - I didn't give a damn about any of the characters. Not a single one. That's a pretty major flaw in a book about a dying girl. Glad I read it, probably wouldn't read it again.

    Anna McPartlin

    in Women's Fiction / Chick Lit

    Posted

    Well, I think the whole world knows I'm not into chick lit at ALL, what drew my attention to this book when Michelle listed it for review was the exact theme that defines the novel - the need to get over the death of a loved one. It's mostly due to personal experiences that I wanted to read it, because I thought I could relate to it - and I did. I thoroughly enjoyed it because it leaves you with a sense of sincere happiness despite the loss, and now I'm ranting like a thirteen year old emo. :D

    Anna McPartlin

    in Women's Fiction / Chick Lit

    Posted · Edited by Nollaig
    Grammar error - there's always one that escapes!!

    Anna is an Irish, best-selling author of four novels:

    Pack Up The Moon

    Apart From The Crowd

    The Truth Will Out

    So What If I'm Broken.

     

    Since I've read a second of the four, I'm turning this into a general Anna McPartlin thread.

    If you like chick-lit, seriously check this lady out. Even I love her books, and I'm not into chick-lit.

    ****

     

     

    3594029716_309a9d06a8_m.jpg

     

    Pack Up The Moon

    Anna McPartlin

    (2006)

     

    Synopsis:

     

    It was a night of laughter and celebration. But when John dies in a dreadful accident, his girlfriend Emma is plunged into despair. She loved John more than life itself – and now death has taken him from her. She feels nothing, she has lost everything, her world spins out of control. Or so she thinks. For Emma has friends – good friends who rally round. But the memory of that night returns to haunt each of them in different and trying ways. And Emma knows that if she is ever to laugh at life again, or find the love she once had, she will have to let go of the man she thought she couldn’t live without. She must let go and trust her heart.
    Pack Up The Moon never directly refers to the poem by W. H. Auden featuring this line about the death of a loved one. Anyone who suspects this reference however, will be immediately offered a taste of what can be found in this novel – a kind of lamentation for somebody who was so wholly your world that it seems senseless to suggest you could continue without them. But that is not all this book is about. It is more particularly focused on the living that does, in fact, remain to be done no matter what, and the joy that can be found with time. The whole novel is constructed with a sense of retrospection and nostalgia. At times it felt like reading a memoir, and upon reading the ending I realised this feeling serves as a testament to the writing ability of the author. It includes a short bio about the author’s own life on the cover – and you can see how it comes into play. The rawest moments of heartfelt emotion are so sincere they cannot but be drawn directly from her own experiences, thus touching the reader on a most basic human level.

     

     

    Readers will know from the outset that John dies – it says so in the synopsis on the back cover – so the challenge that remains for the author is to convey a character whose death the reader will mourn after only a precious few chapters knowing him. She succeeds. Not because of the particular person John was, but because of the emotion with which he is conveyed – the sheer contentment inspired by his very presence in Emma’s life and the jarring pain of his being ripped out of it. A similar sense of emotion-fuelled characterisation continues throughout the novel – McPartlin doesn’t overlook anybody, and I think it is more the secondary characters which give the novel it’s emotional edge. While I didn’t specifically relate to any of the characters themselves, in reading about them there is a sense of familiarity, like catching a glimpse of an old friend just for a moment. Doreen is every wise old neighbour and every second mum in the world all at once, Declan is every cheeky student we have taught, or gone to school with, dated or even been ourselves at some point in our lives. Despite the heart-breaking beginning, the novel as a whole is an uplifting release from the emotions that burden us all.

     

     

    On it’s most basic level however, this novel is about the inherent tension between the opposing emotions we experience in the acceptance of loss, the crippling sense of missing someone who isn’t coming back; the tension between needing to be alone and being lonely – the lines between what we want to indulge in and the basic need to proceed. The author translates the reconciliation between emotions into a language which any reader can understand and apply within their own lives. Ultimately this serves to provide a sense of healing, which is perhaps what I liked best about this book. There is real happiness, real sorrow, drama, disappointment, and hope but above all a sense of learning to live life. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry – but you’ll close it’s covers feeling satisfied and at peace with the difficult subject matter presented in it’s pages; with tears in your eyes but a smile on your face.

     

     

    9/10

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