Brian.
-
Posts
3,222 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Books
Posts posted by Brian.
-
-
Just finished reading A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke by Ronnie Reng. An incredible book imo.
-
Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke by Ronald Reng
Synopsis
On 10 November 2009 the German national goalkeeper, Robert Enke, stepped in front of a passing train. He was thirty two years old.
Viewed from the outside, Enke had it all. Here was a professional goalkeeper who had played for a string of Europe’s top clubs including Jose Mourinho’s Benfica and Louis Van Gaal’s Barcelona. Enke was destined to be his country’s first choice for years to come. But beneath the bright veneer of success lay a darker story.
In A Life Too Short, award-winning writer Ronald Reng pieces together the puzzle of his lost friend’s life. Reng brings into sharp relief the specific demands and fears faced by those who play top-level sport. Heartfelt, but never sentimental he tells the universal tragedy of a talented man’s struggles against his own demons.Taken from Amazon
My Thoughts
The story of Robert Enke captured me when it happened more than I expected. I happened to be working in Germany in September of 2009 and was back there a week after Robert killed himself. One of the things that struck me most while I was there was the effect it had on the whole nation. There was a memorial in Berlin set up by everyday people and football fans alike for a person who wasnt a huge star or a native of the city, he had also never played for Herta. With the drama with Tevez, footballers and drugs, footballers cheating on their wives this book could not be more appropriate at the moment.
This book was written a year ago and I desperately wanted to read it, sadly it was written in German, a language I only have a very loose grasp of. Thanks to some coverage in The Times I found out that a translated edition was due to be released last week. I've burned through the book in some speed, wanting to read on but at the same time not wanting to reach the moment where Robert takes his life.
Although the book is a biography it is also a study on depression, lonliness and the pressures of being a professional goalkeeper under constant scrutiny. It also looks at how in the macho world of professional sport being unassuming, vulnerable and suffering from mental illness is often seen as a weakness. The magic of the book is due in no small part to the fact that Ronnie Reng isnt just another journalist but was a friend of Roberts and they had talked about writing Robert's story once he (Robert) had retired. Ronnie Reng had to be persuaded to write the book by family and friends of Robert Enke with the help of diaries left behind. Thankfully Reng has been very selective in what parts of the diaries he left. There could have been the anger directed at people and accusations in the book but these have been left out with the important exception of one.
This is right upn there with the very best books that I have ever had the fortune to read. At no point is it exploitative or overly morose. It is an emotional read however, I enjoyed the good times portrayed yet knew bad times were coming. I felt joy when his first attack of depression was defeated and crashing sadness when it returned. There is also the death of a young daughter which does not bring the depression back as I would have expected. This just goes to show that depression can strike at anytime without any obvious reason. The books isnt only about Robert, we get to see the efforts that his friends and especially wife have to put in to keep things together. His wife comes out as an incredibly strong and dignified person.
Fittingly the book ends with Reng's only real showing of anger towards the game he loved. Huge efforts are made to hide Robert's depression due to the fact that his revealing it would have probably ended his career. For this I don't think that Reng will every love the game again in the way he once did and it makes the obcene oppulence in the game today more odious.
Everyone should read this book
10/10
-
The Damage Done by Warren Fellows
Synopsis
Think about the most wretched day of your life. Maybe it was when someone you loved died, or when you were badly hurt in an accident, or a day when you were so terrified you could scarcely bear it. No imagine 4,000 of those days in one big chunk.
In 1978, Warren Fellows was convicted in Thailand of heroin trafficking and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Damage Done is his story of an unthinkable nightmare in a place where sewer rats and cockroaches are the only nutritious food, and where the worst punishment is the khun deo - solitary confinement, Thai style.
Fellows was certainly guilty of his crime, but he endured and survived human-rights abuses beyond imagination. This is not his plea for forgiveness, nor his denial of guilt; it is the story of an ordeal that no one would wish on their worst enemy. It is an essential read: heartbreaking, fascinating and impossible to put down.Taken from Amazon
My Thoughts
I am a fairly slow reader at times unless its very quiet at work and I get a few hours to myself. When I'm at home I tend to read in short stints rather than big sessions. Time with this book however was very different. I started it one evening and didnt go to bed until I had finished it, I just couldnt put it down and for me thats a rare thing.
Unlike some books I've read in the past on westerners in foreign jails, from the start Fellows states his guilt. Sometimes you tend to feel that when people do this they are somewhat proud of what they have done, not Fellows. Some stories of captivity in foreign jails tell of bad times but are inter-twined with the parties they have and the ease of getting things should you have the money. In Fellows' book there are drugs and plenty of them but at no point there is the glamourisation that sometimes occurs.
Everything is nasty, brutally violent and unrelenting. There is no break in the pace of for lighter moments and I really felt the relief he felt at the end of him time prison. Tellingly there is a large section dedicated to the time after his release and how hard he found it trying to adjust to 'normal' life again. I really got a feel of the physical prison being played out for eternity afterwards mentally.
His way of laying everything out on the table throws up some thoughts with me. He is guilty, of that there is no doubt so does he deserve what he got. He deserved to be locked up, of that there is no doubt but having no human rights is undeserved by anyone today. Its certainly a very stark contrast when compared with the sentence and punishment he would have received in the UK for example.
9/10
-
Fatherland by Robert Harris
Synopsis
Fatherland is set in an alternative world where Hitler has won the Second World War. It is April 1964 and one week before Hitler's 75th birthday. Xavier March, a detective of the Kriminalpolizei, is called out to investigate the discovery of a dead body in a lake near Berlin's most prestigious suburb. As March discovers the identity of the body, he uncovers signs of a conspiracy that could go to the very top of the German Reich. And, with the Gestapo just one step behind, March, together with an American journalist, is caught up in a race to discover and reveal the truth - a truth that has already killed, a truth that could topple governments, a truth that will change history. Taken from Amazon
My Thoughts
I listen to 2 books based podcasts on a regular basis, Guardians Books & BBC's Books & Authors. On one of these I heard an interview with Robert Harris, I forget which it was but I would guess Books & Authors is the more likely. He was taking about his new book at the time, Lustrum and also the fact that The Ghost was being made into a movie. I remember thinking that at the time that Lustrum sounded like the sort of book I would like, mixing history with a good story. Unfortunately at the time I was driving and so couldn't make a note of the author or book. Inevitably I forgot all about Harris.
Skip forward probably more than a year and I'm browsing the shelves of my local Waterstones looking for something to jump out at me. Fatherland caught my attention, initially due to the cover I must admit but the synopsis really grabbed me. At the time I had been to Berlin recently and I could visualise quite a lot of the places talked about and I loved the aspect that the book looked at 'what if?'. It wasn't until I finished the book that I realised this was the author I had heard interviewed previously.
So onto the book, I absolutely loved it. The book is very easy to read and has a nice meandering pace to it, not speeding along but not crawling either. Dipping into history a lot is something that Harris does very well, using real people at times really helps build the story without having to delve into that character too far. I felt connected the main character Xavier March even though the name was a little bizarre for me. There are twists and turns along the way but to be honest its more that story that sucked me rather than the plot twists.
On the strength of Fatherland I read Imperium which I also really liked. I loved the ending of the book, I wont spoil it but I wish more books finished in his way.
9/10
-
Thanks for the review of Cats Cradle. I bought a copy the other day as I thought I should read some Vonnegut. I've yet to read it yet but by your review I suspect I will really enjoy it
-
One of the best football books I've read is 'Braca: A People's Passion' by Jimmy Burns. It goes right back into the history of the club and all the political problems it had during the Spanish Civil War. I read it many years ago before they started to win the league again so no doubt you can pick up an updated version which includes this latest incarnation of the team.
Gazza's 2 books are heart wrenching reads, I used to think he was a bit of a fool but reading the books changed my mind completely.
-
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
Synopsis
The crusader against quakery is on top form. With rapier logic Goldacre skewers big pharma, the media and misusers of science everywhere. His aim is to teach readers how to spot the mumbo jumbo so that they become future proofed against the new variants of bullshit. Taken from The Guardian
My Thoughts
I've been aware of Ben Goldacre for a while through his Bad Science column on the Guardian website. Just like his column his book is a very humorous but alarming look at the bad science used by various people and organisations. How companies, especially those in the Phara industry twist trials to suit them is something that surprised me quite a bit. I'd always been aware that trial data can be used in clever ways to show certain things but almost rigging trials is shocking. He also pokes a lot of fun and bile at Homeopathy, something which has landed him with several lawsuits.
The best part of the book for me is the section dedicated to two people in particular, Gillian McKeith & Patrick Holford. Both people are self acclaimed nutritional 'experts' who have made a lot of money giving advice. Holford has used data to prove that Vitamin C can be used to treat and cure various diseases including AIDS. This data came from 1 whack job scientist who has been discredited for his work. Gillian McKeith is also a nutritionalist who has made a lot of money giving advice under the title 'Doctor'. Goldacre points out that her qualifications are from an un-accredited establishment in the USA and that some of her advice is baseless. Its worth nothing that since Bad Science was published she no longer uses the title 'Doctor' after an advertising standard agency complaint.
The stand out aspect of this book for me is that it has a good light pace to it even when dealing with serious matters. At no point does it get bogged down in scientific details and everything is well explained.
7/10
This book is a great read for those interested in the subject matter.
-
Well as usual life gets in the way and screws my first page layout etc up. Never mind, I shall post up some more reviews of books I've read as best as I can from my memory.
My Booky Wook by Russell Brand
Synopsis
The story of Russell Brand, Tv personality, journalist, comedian and all round rogue.
My Thoughts
Russell Brand is an odd subject for me to delve into. On one hand he is a celeb of the 'Heat' magazine variety, the exact kind of stuff that repels me. On the other hand I do find him intriguing, he comes across as quite funny in his stand up and the amount his is loved and demonized in the press I find interesting.
I didnt know a lot about Brand before I read the book and fortunately he does away with a lot of the younger years 'filler' that a lot of biographies are full of. The one thing that really stood out to me is that underneath all the bravado and acting up is a vulnerable individual who craves attention. His drug history is a little vague and certainly isnt covered in the depth that Anthony Kiedes does in 'Scar Tissue'. There is regret in the book but how sincere it is, is hard to judge. He does seem to have settled down somewhat now at least.
6/10
Its a nice easy read
-
I'm a bit unsure as to what to read next. I've started to read 'The Tibetean Book of Living & Dying' by Sogyal Rinpoche. Its a book I've attempted to read 3 times already but for some reason I've been unable to keep going through it. I'm determined to do it this time. To help along with that I've decided to read a fiction title or two as I'm going along as I think Sogyal Rinpoche needs some thinking time.
This is where I'm not sure what to go for next. I've read the first 2 Steig Larsson books so 'The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest' is a possibility. Also I've got a leaning towards another Orwell title and I've yet to read 1984. There is also my endless TBR list.
So, any suggestions.
-
The Coming Insurrection by The Invisible Committee
Synopsis
The Coming Insurrection is an eloquent call to arms arising from the recent waves of social contestation in France and Europe. Written by the anonymous Invisible Committee in the vein of Guy Debord--and with comparable elegance--it has been proclaimed a manual for terrorism by the French government (who recently arrested its alleged authors). One of its members more adequately described the group as "the name given to a collective voice bent on denouncing contemporary cynicism and reality." The Coming Insurrection is a strategic prescription for an emergent war-machine to "spread anarchy and live communism." Written in the wake of the riots that erupted throughout the Paris suburbs in the fall of 2005 and presaging more recent riots and general strikes in France and Greece, The Coming Insurrection articulates a rejection of the official Left and its reformist agenda, aligning itself instead with the younger, wilder forms of resistance that have emerged in Europe around recent struggles against immigration control and the "war on terror." Hot-wired to the movement of '77 in Italy, its preferred historical reference point, The Coming Insurrection formulates an ethics that takes as its starting point theft, sabotage, the refusal to work, and the elaboration of collective, self-organized forms-of-life. It is a philosophical statement that addresses the growing number of those--in France, in the United States, and elsewhere--who refuse the idea that theory, politics, and life are separate realms.
My Thoughts
I'm not afraid of admitting that the subject matter is a bit above me. Politics in general doesnt hold a lot of interst in me, even less so French politics. One might wonder why would I choose to read a book like this. Well the simple answer is because I found it.
I'm my job I find books that people have discarded all the time. Usually they tend to be stuff that is of little interst but every so often something intrigues me. The spiel on the back about it being linked to terrorism and it being used as evidence in a trail in France hooked me. Fortunately it is a short book, only just over 100 pages but I found it a little hard going in places. The translation is very formal and the subject matter handled in a pretty sterile manner. The basis of the text is an anti-capitalist's look at what is wrong in France and how they would fix it. Although the same 'wrongs' could be applied to most of the big European countries certain political acts in France are used as evidence and examples.
There were a few things which struck a chord with me on a political level however I always feel that many of the texts are far to simple on their outlook. Things are often looked at on a very small individual level without taking into account how that bigger picture can be solved. A lot of the messages are anarchic in nature which I would assume why that have been used in trials as evidence.
I wont give this book a rating as its not the kind of book I feel I can give a fair one to.
-
I'm pretty sure this book will disturb me no end, and I'm not even sure that I could make it all the way through, but I'm just so intrigued by it that I had to buy a copy for my TBR pile last year. I'm scared, though. Very scared.
I wouldnt let my review put you off, it makes many 'must read' lists for a reason, it just didnt float my boat. At the very least you could do what I do and give a book 100 pages to hook me in. If after that I'm hating it that much I usually stop reading.
-
Hi Poppy, we share similar thoughts about 'Faulks on Fiction'. Some of his heroes I thought were a bit iffy at best. However part of me wonders if he has done thing on purpose to stimuate debate and discussion about the show. It should be interesting to see who he will pick in up-coming episodes. I heard him mention Tess of the D'urbervilles a podcast so at least one of the characters in that books will be featured. I had to read the book at school and I hated it so I will be watching future episodes to see what he has to say about it.
Your reviews are well worth the wait.
-
Hi Andrea, I've been meaning to read Crime & Punishment for a whilenow but I'm a little intimidated by the size and high esteem its held in. Who was the reader in the audiobook version you listened to?
-
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Moshin Hamid
Synopsis
At a café table in Lahore, a Pakistani man converses with a stranger. As dusk deepens to dark, he begins the tale that has brought him to this fateful meeting... Among the brightest and best of his graduating class at Princeton, Changez is snapped up by an elite firm and thrives on New York and the intensity of his work. And his infatuation with fragile Erica promises entree into Manhattan society on the exalted footing his own family once held back in Lahore. For a time, it seems as though nothing will stand in the way of Changez's meteoric rise to personal and professional success: the fulfilment of the immigrant's dream. But in the wake of September 11, he finds his position in the city he loves suddenly overturned, and his budding relationship with Erica eclipsed by the reawakened ghosts of her past. And Changez's own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and perhaps even love. (taken from Amazon)
My Thoughts
I've had this book sitting on my bookcase for quite a few months now. I forget when I picked it up but 2 things drew me towards it, the Man Booker nomination and the name Moshin Hamid. I hadn't read Hamid's earlier work and knew nothing of the book except that it is held in quite high regard. This was another book that I read in a few sittings, two if memory serves me correctly. Although this has happened for the last few books I've read it is not typical for me. This book slowly sucked my in until I just had to finish it then and there.
As the story developed my emotions towards the two characters at the cafe table shifted several times. I say two characters but in fact there is Changez and an un-named American, I'm assuming Hamid did this to place the reader in the shoes of the American. If that was his intention it certainly worked in my cafe and I constantly held Changez with some level of suspicion. The title gave away that fact the Changez had an ulterior motive but I felt it wasnt as simple as that, especially towards the end where it turns out the American may have a secret. Initially I felt deeply for Changez, he is a stranger in a strange city trying to find his way, this is something I have experience and so I felt a certain affinity with him.
With regards his relationship with Erica I felt less compelled to side with him. There seemed to me to be little in the way of truly understanding her emotions and feelings. The relationship of Erica and America as words wasnt lost on me and felt a little clunky at times as did the relationship as a whole. There was some tenderness and affection in the start of the relationship but as things went wrong I felt the approach was too cold and clinical.
My biggest issue, and its not a huge one is Changez's feelings towards 9-11. It doesnt sit comfortable with me for a character to say that he felt some happiness over the attack while trying to act friendly. Everything seemed to be put at the feet of America while Changez portrayed no revulsion, guilt or sadness at what had occurred. One thing this books did was me was to keep me thinking it over for a few days, it really got into my head. I'm usually open to giving books away to people but I shall be keeping this one as I suspect I will read it again and again. Despite my small gripes I have to say that I thought this was an excellent book. Easy reading but thought provoking at the same time.
9/10
-
I read Seperation of Power a fair few years back and from what I can recall it also moves at quite a pace. Although I found it enjoyable I havent sought out any of his other books to read.
-
Stealing The Wave by Andy Martin
Synopsis
Wiamea bay, the mid eighties and two surfers are trying to show that they are the best big wave surfers on the scene. One is a veteran of Wiamea, Ken Bradshaw, the self proclaimed master of the bay and all American hero. The other, Mark Foo, a young upstart of Chinese heritage drops in and 'steals' a wave from Bradshaw. Foo is self confident in his abilities, good looking and has an entirely different approach to the world of surfing. The 'theft' of the wave starts a feud that lasts for years and ends in tragedy.
My Thoughts
After 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' I decided to drop into another of my growing collection of obscure non-fiction titles. I bought 'Stealing The Wave' a few months ago after hearing Steve Bunce (a sports journo) mention it on a radio show. It sounded intriguing and had 2 things which normally appeal to me with non-fiction books. It contained a subject I'm very unfamiliar with (surfing) and a human story to maintain interest should the surfing fail to catch my attention.
I didn't need to be concerned about the book not catching my attention, after reading the first 30 pages or so I read the rest of it in one sitting during a quiet night at work. Martin's style is very easy going and he really captures the environment and surfer lifestyle. He also delves into some of the technical aspects of surfing while still keeping it simple to understand. Along with the seemingly perfect lifestyle of the surfers in drops tragedy of their pursuit of the biggest waves. Right at the start of the book he details the funeral or sorts of the late great Hawaiian surfer Eddie Aikau. Martin really manages to sum up the atmosphere perfectly and I really felt that I understood the reverence that Eddie Aikau is held in.
The battle between Bradshaw and Foo is the classic fight between the older established way of doing things and the young, fresh brash approach of the up coming generation. The fact that Martin is not a big wave surfer or part of the scene means that he seems to favour neither camp and points out the character flaws in both. I purposely didnt look to see who the main tragedy befalls and up until the event I found it impossible predict. The tragedy is dealt with in a slightly detatched manner which portrays the feelings around the event very well. There was, and remains quite a lot of controversy around the event which Martin handles with good balance. He could have taken a side and used it in a sensationalist manner but instead each side is represented and the reader left to mull it over.
This is a great book and not only for sport fans, I think everyone would take some enjoyment from it.
7/10
-
Hi Brian I liked your book reviews . I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist last year and reviewed it on here somewhere. I will be interested what you think of it, the style the book is written in and the main character too.
Thanks for the kind words. Just started The Reluctant Fundamentalist last night so the review shouldnt be too far away.
-
The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Synopsis
Richard Hannay has just returned to England after years in South Africa and is thoroughly bored with his life in London. But then a murder is committed in his flat, just days after a chance encounter with an American who had told him about an assassination plot which could have dire international consequences. An obvious suspect for the police and an easy target for the killers, Hannay goes on the run in his native Scotland where he will need all his courage and ingenuity to stay one step ahead of his pursuers. (Taken from Amazon)
My Thoughts
Despite being 30 I've only been reading fiction for the past 2 years or so. Prior to that I read soley non-fiction and so missed out on a whole load of great books. As usual christmas comes round and I get asked what I would like, my answer as usual was 'nothing'. This usually leads to me being bugged until I give a suitable solution. This year it was simple, I produced a list of classic books that I would like to read and allowed people to buy one of they so wish. This is how I came to be in possession of 'The Thirty-Nine Steps'. I think I got it off the 1001 books you must read before you die.
Apart from the existance of a Hitchcock movie, which I havent seen I knew nothing about either the book or the author. A quick read of the intro bit in the book revealed he was from Perth in Scotland, somewhere I lived for a few years. Enough waffle and onto the book.
One of the things that I'm always worried about with classics is the language that could be used. This is something that I shouldnt have worried about in this book as it is written in a straight forward easy going style. The characters are nicely built in the book but its the environment and especially the landscape which really jumps out of the book. Buchan really shows his love for the outdoors and in particular Scotland with his vivid descriptions. It really helps the feel of isolation when Hannay is on the run and you feel as if the desolate environment is helping him evade his pursuers.
I got totally caught up in the tension towards the later stages of the story so much so that I deprived myself of much needed sleep to finish the book. Most of all I enjoyed the simplicity of the story, Hannay is a normal person thrown into an adventure rather than some kind of super human. I can see why this was turned into a movie but from what I have read since finishing the book the movie and book differ a lot.
8/10
-
I havent read it, I based my comments on some reviews I've seen as its also part of 'In Between The Sheets'. From what I've read it appears to be quite a departure from the stuff he is most associated with these days. It wont stop be reading it eventually it just means that I will probably read some of his other stuff at first.
-
Thanks for the reply. It seems that its either a love or hate piece.
-
What were your opinions on Pornography, I've noticed that it scored poorly.
-
Phoenix Squadron by Rowland White
Synopsis
January 1972: the tiny outpost of British Honduras is threatened with imminent invasion by battle-hardened, US-trained Guatemalan paratroops. Britain’s response must be immediate and decisive. But there is only one deterrent the government can offer: HMS Ark Royal, once the Navy’s most powerful warship, now a white elephant on the verge of being scrapped. To save the small colony, she must launch a pair of Buccaneer fighter bombers on an unprecedented long-range mission. But first the old carrier must make a high-speed, 1,500 mile dash across the Atlantic towards the Gulf of Mexico. The odds of arriving in time are very slim indeed… Drawing on extensive first-hand accounts and previously unseen, classified documents, Rowland White has pieced together one of the most audacious and thrilling missions of post-war British military history. (Taken from Amazon)
My Thoughts
I like to alternate my reading between fiction and non-fiction so here is another non-fiction title. I had previously read Vulcan 607 by Rowland White so am familiar with his style of writing. Vulcan 607 captured my imagination because I had an interest in both the Vulcan as an aircraft and also the Falklands conflict. I had little knowledge of either the Buccaneer or Ark Royal so I was unsure how well this book would capture me.
I shouldn't have worried as White's engaging style and the content soon had me hooked. He has a way of mixing facts with anecdotes from people who were there into a story that flows along at a nice pace. The political aspect of the story in British Honduras I found a little flat at times. I had no underlying knowledge of the situation in BH and I felt that had a negative impact on my enjoyment. The political problems faced by Ark Royal and its relationship with its American allies are covered in depth and give you a real feel for what they were up against.
I've seen this book described as riveting and a real page turner in reviews but I don't really agree with that. Sure, its interesting but I don't see it sucking in people without any prior interest in the subject. Its a book I would recommend though and I got through it in short order so it must be fairly good. Two other people I know who have read it have positive things to say about it.
6/10
-
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Synopsis
Patrick Bateman is twenty-six and works on Wall Street; he is handsome, sophisticated, charming and intelligent. He is also a psychopath. Taking us to a head-on collision with America’s greatest dream – and its worst nightmare – American Psycho is a bleak, bitter, black comedy about a world we all recognize but do not wish to confront. (Taken from Amazon)
My Thoughts
My decision to read this was based on the fact that I have a very vague recollection of the movie and wanted to watch it again. However before watching it I wanted to read the book as I often find movies have been changed quite a lot from their respective books. I had high hopes as it often appears on 'must read' lists. I was in for a surprise and from my point of view, not a good one.
I struggled to get through this book but I stuck with it hoping that it would suck me in but it didnt. My biggest gripe is the repeated details of what people are wearing or possess. I understand that this is an important aspect as it pokes fun at the consumer driven nature of the characters and their try to get one over the next man. Half way through the book though and it gets tired. I also found that none of the characters were that interesting, apart from Bateman they provoked no emotions on my part.
I suspect that some of the book may be lost on me. I'm generally not one for hidden meanings and interwoven messages in books. I found the violence at times to be particularly nasty and felt it was like that just for the shock value, especially where the rat is concerned. Overall I'm non-plussed about this book. I didnt enjoy it but I wouldnt say I hated it, I just found it a bit tedious.
3/10
-
Hello Brian, nice to see another new book logger
I was a bit surprised to see a review on an Amelie Nothomb book, I rarely come across someone who's read her books. Fear and Trembling is my least favorite of hers, but since you liked it I would recommend The Stranger Next Door and Antichrista which are my favorite Nothombs and which you might enjoy as well Although I said I doubted if I would read another one of Nothomb's books I might have to check out your suggestions.
Excellent review Brian, I'm now definitely going to buy this at some point and read it. Thanks!
Thank you, I intend to review all the books I read, its just taking me a little time to catch up on the ones I've already read.
Brian's Books 2011
in Past Book Logs
Posted
Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich
Synopsis
Liar's Poker meets Ocean's Eleven in Ben Mezrich's riveting story of a team of brilliant card counters who developed a system to take some of the world's most sophisticated casinos for millions of dollars. Bringing Down the House is an utterly gripping real-life thriller, and a fascinating insight into an excessive, corrupt and tightly closed world. (Taken from book cover)
My Thoughts
By now this is a well known story, a bunch of students from MIT with the help of a lecturer and some secret bankers take on the Vegas casinos. They do so using a deceptively simple method of card counting which although simple in theory takes a lot of concentration to pull off in the casinos. There remains the threat of being caught by security and black balled from ever casino on the strip.
Mezrich relays this story in a simple but effective manner keeping the story trotting along at a fast pace. I'm very glad that I read the book before watching the movie. There are a few changes in the movie and it misses out on aspect of the story. Although the fear is solidly there the book mentions that card counting in not illegal and casino security no longer smash offenders hands with hammers as punishment.
They say that fact is stranger than fiction and in this case it certainly is.
7/10