catwoman Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 My 2rd choice was The Obscure Logic of the Heart by Priva Basil but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I wrote to the lovely Lynsey, and she was happy yo send me 4th choice, Crippen. Thankfully that's gotten off to a much better start! Hmm... I'm still not exactly sure. I'm not very keen on taking a true life person, and writing fiction around them. If the story had been totally fictitious, it was make a good story - but I'm not keen on the way Crippen is portrayed. But then again, it's encouraged me to go and research more about the actual case, and facts. I only have 100 pages to read of this.. I think it's a real easy book to read. I knew a little of the case before reading. I'm not sure if that is a blessing or not. Like a said though a rather easy read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I've finally reviewed Crippen. It's not a very good review, as I'm so unsure of how I feel about it. Reviews are very mixed on amazon. In this book, John Boyne takes a rather infamous murderer, and tells a story which is part fiction, and part fact. And I’ll be honest, I’m still undecided exactly how I feel about it.Firstly, the story… there are two tales to be told, one being Crippen’s life, and the events leading to his wife’s murder, and the other his attempted escape, and eventual capture. The book jumps between different times, but they are easy to follow. The attempted escape takes place on the SS Montrose, where some of the other passengers become a part of the story. As a story, told on it’s own, it would make an interesting enough book. Crippen’s early life helps to build up his character, and Ethel Le Neve makes a rather fascinating mistress, as someone who appears to be rather sweet, and yet also very cunning. My uncertainly comes from the issue of writing a fictional account of a well known murder. Having reflected, I think I would rather know that the character and events are based on known facts, not a fictional account of what may have happened. If reading fiction, I would rather all characters and events are made up. In addition, Crippen is portrayed very differently to how I would expect, which affected the way I read the book. I’m not sure exactly what I expected, but I got the impression that the author felt sorry for him, and was presenting a man pushed to murder by his hard life, and relationships. However, it did make me realise that I actually knew very little – my only real memory is of the Chamber of Horrors in Madam Tussauds, and vague memories of a film. Reading the book has lead me to read more about the case, and has made me realise he probably was a strange quiet man, rather than the cold bloodied killer I always imagine. Reviews are rather mixed about this book, so it’s probably one to try for yourself. In particular it would make a good book group choice, with lots to discuss and debate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I found this at Transworld -> Between the lines. "This week sees the release of a magical debut novel by Jon Steele, The Watchers in paperback. To celebrate this release we have a limited amount of competition copies to send out to a few lucky readers. To get your hands on a copy just let us know, in the comment space below, which country the setting for this book, Lausanne, is situated. The closing date for entries is 22nd June 2012 and winners will be announced here and notified." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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