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The White Feather wrote: »
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
This is a book that has been in my collection for many many years. It was published in 1985 so not that long but it must be over 10 years! Finally got around to reading it.
This is a dystopian type novel set in a police state called Gilead. We kind of gather that the USA has been overthrown and now women have no rights. Christian government nutters have taken over and now women are treated like cattle like in the old testament. If they can have children, they have to provide them to the men who are in charge called Commanders. So they are called Handmaids.People now wear colours according to their function in society.
I loved this premise when I heard about it and this is now a famous book. Always wanted to read it but something always kept me from reading it. Don't know what it was, maybe some kind of spidey sense about it......
And.............Yes my suspicions were correct. I really wanted to like it as the premise is great and really had me ready to read it. Sadly it seemed a jumbled mess and most of all it felt very dry and dull. It is told in first person by Offred and I should care about her but I didn't. This is all down to Atwood as a writer I think. She just isn't good in my opinion.
If felt like an essay rather than a story so it was too preachy. I think a better writer would have made this really entertaining and made a feminist point about women having control of their lives. Other than the great premise, I found this terrible and couldn't wait to finish it. I came close to abandoning it but just held on until the end!
I found the world she created kind of silly as characters mention that this revolution only just seemed to have happened as they remember their previous lives but they seem fully changed. Maybe it was just me but I didn't find it very believable to have everything that quick. Then having everyone in different colours seemed silly and trite.Planet of the Apes seems more realistic :pac:
So yes, I hated this book when I wanted to like it. I wouldn't recommend anyone reading this. I might watch the tv series though as in better hands they might be able to make this idea work better.
I liked the TV series, so much so that I recently red The Testaments, the follow up hook published last year.
Very disappointing.... I thought the writing was unimaginative, predictable, and unengaging. Just rambled on and on.... Farfetched storyline that was completely implausible.
The Handmaid's Tale has a great setup, good ideas and concepts, brilliantly executed in the TV series. Not too often the TV is better than the book.0 -
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Somebody's husband, Somebody's son by Gordon Burn
This is a non fiction book about the story of the Yorkshire Ripper who terrorised people from 1975 to around 1980. His name was Peter Sutcliffe and he killed 13 women and injured 9 others. Usually he used a hammer and knives. To say his murders were horrifying is to nearly play them down.
This biography is in depth. When I say in depth I mean it! It starts off talking about his family such as his grandfather and father and you are kind of wondering what is the point of this. Then it goes into his upbringing and where he fitted within his family.It goes right through to his crimes and when he is caught.
Because this starts off about his family it takes a while to get going where we get to the stuff thats really interesting.Taken overall though it is a really thorough examination of his life and serves to give background to him. His crimes were horrific and are hard to read sometimes but this book was very good. I would probably have cut out some of the early stuff in the book but it still is a very good if harrowing read. If you like true crime stuff then this is a must read.0 -
Omerta by Mario Puzo
This is another book in Mario Puzo's Mafia series. Its not connected to the Godfather but it is about the Mafia. Omerta is the Mafia Code of Silence where they don't talk about their business. This book is about a Mafia Don getting assassinated and no one talking. The FBI are investigating it while the Don's nephew sets out to find out who did it and dispense justice. Needless to say the Mafia type of justice isn't just a stern talking to!
This was a book that was found after Puzos death so some people doubt whether he even wrote this one or was he just losing his touch. I wouldn't say it was bad but it wasn't good either. The story is very basic with hitmen, shootings and the Mafia. Every time that I grew a bit bored something happened like a shooting or kidnapping so it held my interest. After finishing it though, I can't really remember the full story so its a bit like fast food. I enjoyed it at the time but now I have forgotten it!
If you want to read a throwaway thriller that doesn't have a load of substance to it then this is perfect! I am trying to read all of Puzos work so I am nearly there. Just a few more left.0 -
The Family by Mario Puzo
This was Mario Puzo's last book that was completed by his girlfriend Carol Gino and is historical fiction about Pope Alexander VI and his family, the Borgias. They ran the papacy like a mafia family and that's why Puzo calls them the Family. This has all the ingredients that make a great book. Based on a true story, loves of shady dealings and violence all seemed to make me think that I would love it.
But no I did not. It read like a school text book and I found myself getting very bored with it early on. I would have given this up only that it is Puzo's last novel. I have read all his fiction except his first book and another that it is a children's book. Eventually I will get round to his first book.
I found myself wanting to read a real history book about the Borgias rather than made up things mixed with real things that happened. It just felt very dry and no passion in this. I wonder how much did his girlfriend change things or was it that it is just not any good. Puzo was supposed to have worked on this for over 20 years off and on while he wrote his other books. I wonder if he thought that he couldn't make it come alive and was always trying to make it better. This is pure speculation on my part though but I would not recommend this book. It is just too boring. I might just go on blaming the girlfriend!!0 -
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Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Read this if you want to live......
Well no, but it is Arnolds autobiography and this is a big book. 650 pages and this takes him through his youth to where he is now. A Hollywood icon! This is a great book as it is really in depth and Arnold really calls it as he saw it happening. He owns up to his mistakes and what he thinks his triumphs are too.
It deals with all his weight lifting days and then goes into all his movies. His drive and determination really shines through in every thing he did and I loved that there was so much information about everything. If you are interested in his early days training or his movies, they are all dealt with and he is very honest about it all.
Then it goes on to his run for Governor and political life. Health scares and a secret that he only revealed in this book...........His affair with the house maid....Arnold you crafty dog!
If you are a fan of movies or of him then this book is a must read and even if you are not a fan, it still is a must read because he is so honest in dealing with everything. I would thoroughly recommend this book to everyone. It is a kind of motivation book too as he gives his own "rules" for success at the end. One of the best autobiographies that I have read.0 -
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Another book that I have had in my collection for years that I have only got around to reading now!! Its a historical fiction book set in 1896 in New York. An alienist is what they called a psychologist at that time as it was believed a person was "alienated" from his own body.
The alienists name is Dr Laszlo Kreizler and he calls in a newspaper reporter called John Moore to help him investigate the horrific death of a young boy. Together they set out with help from others, to find out who did the crime but then find out that this boy may be just one of many victims....
So in essence, this is like early criminal profiling to narrow down the search and the story is told in first person view of the newspaper man John Moore. Kreizler has views and methods that are now commonplace for catching killers but back then it was new and very strange. A lot of police thought that it didn't work and it was a waste of time to profile the murderer to narrow things down.
This book was brilliant as it really puts you in that time period and I felt like I was really along for the ride and investigation. It has a lot of twists and turns and was a real book that I could not put down. This is another book that you should read as soon as you can if you have not already. I am only annoyed that I am only getting around to it now but glad that I have now read it.0 -
The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
This is the follow up to The Alienist that I reviewed above and it has the same characters as above.There are a few interesting differences between this and the first book. The first is that the story is now told from young Steves point of view. He is the former young thug who has now turned good guy under the tutelage of the doctor Laszlo Kreisler. The other difference in this book is that the murderer is known. The problem is proving it!
It is now a year later than the events of the first book and a spanish diplomats wife comes to Kreisler saying her infant child has been kidnapped. But for some reason she is the only one saying it. The rest of her family don't want any investigation. She says she saw the woman who took the child and this leads to an investigation where this woman may be a serial child killer......All the while at this time the USA and Spain are on the verge of war so matters are very tense.....
People that I see online have said this is not as good as the first book but to me it is almost better. The murderer is known but protected so how can they get her to justice? The only niggle is that the book is a tad too long.But it was still really enjoyable with a load of real life people from the time woven into the story. I spent loads of time googling the people involved and reading their wiki pages! They were very unique people such as "Ding Dong" of the Hudson Dusters gang and Diamond Jim Brady etc. Ding Dong sounds like what they would call a chinese guy back then but he wasn't. He was called that because he had a big stick and hit you over the head. Hence Ding Dong!:pac: Then Diamond Jim Brady was a guy who could eat non stop and loved jewelery. When he died it was discovered that he had a stomach 6 times bigger than a normal human! Google them and the Hudson Dusters street gang and it is very interesting stuff!
But back to the book, this is a great read. I was sad when I was finished it, it was that good! I spent half the time when I was not reading the book, reading about the real life people of that era. So this comes highly recommended but make sure you read the first book too. Carr is meant to be writing a third book in this series but the release date has been pushed back. I will definitely get that book when it comes out.0 -
Killing Time by Caleb Carr
After reading The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness reviewed above, I went straight into another one of his gladly. As you can tell, I loved those two books so I wanted to read more of him! The strange thing is that this book is science fiction and completely unconnected to the previous books. So we go from books of historical fiction from 1896 to the future. I thought this should be interesting!
Interesting it certainly was......
The other two books that I just reviewed, take their time with the plot and really go in depth. Here the plot races along at breakneck speed. It doesn't make any sense at all!
In the first 20 pages, we meet Dr Gideon Wolfe who somehow gets mixed up in his friends head getting blown off, assassinations, black helicopters, a prison break and winds up flying on an aircraft with unbelievable speed and stealth. All this when he meets what I can only describe as techno terrorists. They believe they are helping the world. Then he ends up parachuting out and living with a tribe of natives in africa.
Yes, this book is as weird as I describe. It is all over the place. Its meant to be a take on this worlds need for news and fake news kind of thing. I really should have given up, but as I enjoyed the other books I kept going as its only 240 pages.
It is so strange that I was constantly saying WTF. Carr should just stick to historical fiction as this book is really bad.I barely made it to the end. I love science fiction but this is one of the worst I have read. Do not go near it!0 -
The Holocaust by Wolfgang Benz
Most books about the holocaust are naturally enough written by Jews but in this book we have it looked at by a German. It is subtitled "A German historian examines the Genocide" It is only 176 pages and the author treats it as "just the facts" type of book. Here is what happened without editorial. There is a foreword by Arthur Hertzberg and in it, he describes this book as a first course in the Holocaust.
The Holocaust is looked at in different chapters dealing with a facet of it such as the Wannsee Conference, taking the civil rights of Jews bit by bit, making the ghettos and then the efficient killing camps. There is also a chapter on the Sinti and Roma Genocides which I didn't really know about. They are the Roma gypsies.
As you can expect, a lot of the details in this are very hard to read and made me physically sick. I have read Michael Burleighs book "The Third Reich: A new History" and one of the same details that was talked about in that book is in this book also. I was upset when I read it before and now got upset again reading it again. Its one of those things that gets me every time and I don't like to think about it.
Hard as it is to read, I really loved this book as it is just the details and nothing else. Written by a German makes it interesting too. I think this is a rare book but you should read it if you are interested in history and WWII. I liked the way each facet was looked at in a chapter and there are great details in this book. This is highly recommended but be prepared for the material.0 -
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Black Coffee by Agatha Christie (Adapted by Charles Osborne)
This is a Hercule Poirot novel written by Charles Osborne. I wouldn't read these type of continuations when they are not written by the original author usually. This one is based on a play that Agatha Christie herself wrote so I deem this to be okay. There are new novels that are written by a different author that I would never read as they are not Christie books. This is based on the play Black Coffee so its acceptable to me!
This play was done in 1930 and Osborne has just written the stage directions and dialogue out in book form so I would think its very close to what Christie intended.
Sir Claud is a physicist and working on a formula for the British Government and he suspects one of his household has stolen it. The formula is hinted to be like for an Atomic bomb but its never said. He sends for Poirot to come to his house and will keep everyone there until he arrives. Unfortunately poor old Sir Claud gets bumped off before Poirot gets there. The person cant have the formula on them as they know they will be searched but as it is a complicated formula they must have it written somewhere where they know they can get it later. So Poirot has to figure out who is the spy and who killed Sir Claud......
This is a short but great fun read. Had me baffled for ages but I did solve it before the end! Very clever yet its a simple mystery. Osborne really recreated Christie's writing and I think he did great justice to her in this book. So if you are a fan of her then this is another must read for your collection. It was a lot of fun.0 -
Cigars of the Pharaoh by Herge
Recently I found my childhood collection of The Adventures of Tintin. I used to be mad about these comics as a kid. Each one was a prized possession and I remember the high of reading it as a kid still!!
So I said, lets go and read them again!! Tintin is a young Belgian reporter who knows no fear and likes to solve mysteries. Together with his dog Snowy they both have great adventures getting mixed up in all sorts of shenanigans!
What is great about this comic, was the stories were great, full of adventures and intrigue and a lot of laughs along the way.
In this tale our intrepid heroes are travelling to Egypt where they find a Pharaohs tomb full of dead Egyptologists and boxes of cigars.....What is going on and who is behind it?
This story races along in the usual Tintin way and is a whole load of fun. Tintin has loads of stuff happen to him in just a few panels but thats the fun of it! If you have never read these then try this one out and if you have already then read it again! I am glad I did!0 -
The Blue Lotus by Herge
These Tintin graphic novels/comics are standalone but they sometimes continue on plot lines. Here Tintin finds himself and Snowy invited to China in the middle of the 1931 invasion by the Japanese. Tintin is following up the investigation he started in Cigars of the Pharaoh and is on the trail of smugglers. But now there are Japanese spies causing mischief too!!
Its another really enjoyable adventure with laughs thrown in again. How I love these comics! I loved them as a kid and they really take me back to lying on my bed on a rainy day or out in the garden on a sunny day just enjoying them immensely. No mobiles or internet them days.
This was written/drawn in 1934 and there was a lot of research done for it. The panels are all really well drawn and put you right in the action. Very much recommended of course!0 -
The Black Island by Herge
Tintin is back in another fun tale! This time he is casually walking in the Belgian countryside when he witnesses a plane land nearby. Tintin offers to help but is shot! While he recovers in hospital he learns the plane went on to England. Tintin goes to England with his dog Snowy to investigate further. He gets framed by the bad guys and the two detectives Thomson and Thompson are on his trail. Tintin eventually finds out the bad guys may be on the Black Island up in Scotland......
The amount of things that happen to Tintin is crazy. Walking along in the country leads him to another mystery! :pac:
As usual it is full of adventures and laughs and is a great read. I wish every kid read these comics/graphic novels. They are still so good even though originally written around 1937. I keep saying it but they really take me back to reading them as a kid!0 -
Tintin and the Lake of Sharks by Herge
I had not read this one when I was a kid and it was because it is adapted from an animated movie made in 1972. Herge only supervised it and it wasnt really written by him at all.
It is very noticeable as the story is very basic and while the drawing is Tintin like, it is only just in the style of it. The panels are still images from the movie. I enjoyed it anyway as a very quick diversion but I wouldnt really recommend this or read it again. The story is very like a saturday morning cartoon so you can see the difference.0 -
Destination Moon by Herge
Continuing on in my Adventures of Tintin reading, we have Destination Moon. Here we have Professor Calculus building a rocket to go to the moon and of course Tintin, Captain Haddock and even Snowy the dog will be going along for the trip!! But before liftoff, Tintin and the gang have to deal with a load of spies and intrigue.......
This was written in 1950 and its amazing how accurate the details are. Of course some things are a bit off but you can see Herge did a lot of research before he started the drawing and story. I really enjoyed this one and this story directly leads on to Explorers on the Moon which is next up......!!0 -
Explorers on the Moon by Herge
This is the follow up to Destination Moon review above and now Tintin and the gang are the first to be on the moon! Why do people always give credit to Neil Armstrong and not Tintin?!! This was written in 1952/53 and was very accurate again in how Herge thought it would be done.
Those two loveable idiots Thomson and Thompson somehow got on the rocket before liftoff and are now on the mission too! Snowy ends up strolling around the moon with a little oxygen tank on his back so its very funny! Unfortunately there may be trouble for Tintin and the gang as someone else might be on board too and wants to make sure Tintin doesnt get back to Earth.....
This is a whole lot of fun again with the drawing and story being very good. These 2 stories are excellent and highly recommended.0 -
The Secret of the Unicorn by Herge
Another great Tintin adventure! This was written in 1942/1943 right in the middle of the Nazi occupation of Belgium where Herge lived. Tintin is looking around a local fair and sees an antique model ship for sale. He decides to buy it for his friend Captain Haddock but is immediately harassed by 2 different people wanting to buy it from him. The model ship is called The Unicorn and was actually commanded in real life by Captain Haddocks ancestor. Tintin finds out there are actually 3 model ships and that each contain a scroll that can lead to treasure! An old pirates treasure called Red Rackham that Captain Haddocks ancestor killed in battle! Can Tintin find where the treasure is? The problem is that there are others out to get the treasure too....
This is a whole load of fun and highly recommended of course. This leads directly on to the next adventure called Red Rackham's Treasure but of course you should read this one first.
An interesting thing to note about this one is that the last 2 pages have the first appearance of Tintin's iconic outfit. The blue jumper with a white shirt underneath it! He nearly always wears this from now on in the other books/comics.0 -
Red Rackham's Treasure by Herge
This is a direct continuation of the story started above in The Secret of the Unicorn. Having got the 3 scrolls together from the model ships, they reveal coordinates in the Caribbean where Red Rackham's treasure is meant to be. This story is where we see the first appearance of Professor Calculus, the genius professor who is a bit deaf! He offers them his submarine but Tintin and Haddock decline his offer. However, Calculus stows away on the ship they travel to the Caribbean and has his submarine in pieces with him too! Of course Tintin and Haddock are soon joined by Thomson and Thompson as well!! Will they find the treasure...???
This is another adventure that is a lot of fun. Make sure you read the Secret of the Unicorn first though!!0 -
The Seven Crystal Balls by Herge
This Tintin adventure is one of his darkest tales. When I sat darkest, I don't mean not suitable for kids but maybe just a bit creepy! Seven explorers that have found an Inca tomb in the Andes are now back home but are now falling into mysterious comas and shattered crystal balls are found near them. What is going on and can Tintin get to the bottom of the mystery?!
As I said, this is a bit darker than the usual tales but is great fun. This story goes straight into the next one called Prisoners of the Sun so make sure you read this one first. As usual, highly recommended!0 -
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Prisoners of the Sun by Herge
This story continues on from the above story The Seven Crystal Balls. Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock are trying to rescue Professor Calculus and travel to Peru. There they continue searching but soon encounter an ancient Inca civilisation.
The Inca civilisation is kind of based on Machu Picchu and Tintin and the gang find themselves captured in it. This is another story that is a great deal of fun and is a worthy end to the two parter. Again, there are a good few laughs in the adventure and it keeps going until the end. I like these kind of adventure/journey tales where Tintin encounters new places/people.
Another one that you should read!0 -
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets by Herge
This is the first ever Tintin tale and its the only one that Herge did not reproduce again in colour. Presumably because it is very crudely drawn and the whole story is about how communism is bad. I enjoyed it as you can see how things developed after this tale. Tintin and Snowy are drawn slightly different as if they were drawn in a rush but its because it is the first one. The story really races along even quicker than the usual Tintin tale with Tintin making propellers with a penknife and cars out of spare parts!! :pac:
I had never read this one before so it was good to finally read it. Not one of the best at all as it really is just showing how bad Communism is and not much else. I still think you should read it though as it is the first ever Tintin written but much different to what he becomes in later adventures.0 -
Tintin in the Congo by Herge
This was Tintin's second ever adventure and here he is off to the Congo. Congo was a Belgian colony up until 1960 and from what I gather they ruled it with an Iron fist. This is kind of reflected in this tale as it has a lot of questionable and racist attitudes. The Congolese are shown to be stupid and there is s lot of hunting and animal cruelty. Tintin kills a whole herd of antelope, kills an ape for its skin and stones a buffalo. In an earlier edition he actually puts dynamite in a rhino and blows it up :eek: see pic below
So putting these old attitudes aside, its an ok read. Definitely not the best and there's not much to it but I enjoyed it for what it was. This was written in 1930 so I cut it slack for the attitudes in it. I wouldn't really recommend it though unless you just want to read all Tintin's adventures like I am.0 -
Tintin in America by Herge
This is Tintin's third adventure written in 1931/32 and this time he heads to America to take on gangsters! Here he comes across a tribe of Native Americans too. This is much the same as Tintin in the Congo. He is just a bit on tour rather than anything else but there is a bit more story here. You can see the improvements Herge made as he did more and more stories. They became more complex than the simple early ones.
Here he goes up against Bobby Smiles who is a rival to Al Capone in Chicago. Smiles heads a group called the GSOC. The Gangsters Syndicate of Chicago! Smiles tries to hire Tintin but of course Tintin wouldn't join the bad guys. He is an all round good guy!!
I enjoyed this adventure as its a real gangsters era story and Tintin meets native Americans too. Simple fun!0 -
The Broken Ear by Herge
This is Tintin's sixth adventure and here he is searching for a South American statue that has a broken ear. He follows thieves who have stolen it to South America and winds up in the middle of a war. Then he meets a tribe in the forest too.....
I learned a new word in this. Fetish. I knew one meaning!! :pac: But there is another. Its used here in this context. A fetish is an object usually carved like a statue and it is believed by some tribes people to have magical powers.
This is more like the later adventures with loads of twists and turns and not just Tintin on tour like some of the previous stories. It is really enjoyable and great fun!!0 -
King Ottokar's Sceptre by Herge
This is Tintin's eighth adventure and was written in 1938/39. Herge, who is Belgian, had seen the Nazis annex Austria so he used that current event at the time in this story.
Tintin is strolling along in the local park and finds a briefcase and then decides to return it to its owner. ( I love how these old stories get going!! ) The briefcase belongs to a professor who is going to the balkan nation of Syldavia. Tintin ends up going with him and gets mixed up in international intrigue! The King of Syldavia has to have an old kings Ottokar's sceptre on a national holiday or he will have to abdicate in disgrace. Tintin realises that the neighbouring country of Borduria is trying to steal the sceptre so the King will leave and they can move in and annex the country.
This is a great story with a lot of twists and turns that are a lot of fun. It is also the first appearance of the opera singer Bianca Castafiore. She appears in several more stories. This one is very much recommended!0 -
The Crab with the Golden Claws by Herge
This is the ninth adventure of Tintin and it was written in 1940/41 right in the middle of the Nazi occupation of Belgium. This story is the first appearance of Captain Haddock and here he is a complete drunk whereas later while he loves a drink, he is more sober.
Tintin is on the trail of opium smugglers and ends up going to Morocco to track them down. This story is good fun and is well worth a read. The first with Captain Haddock makes it stand out and you can see how Tintin and Haddock became friends!0 -
The Shooting Star by Herge
This is Tintin's 10th adventure and is a bit more fantastical in nature than his other stories. By that I mean its a bit more far fetched than usual!! Tintin meets a professor and learns a meteor is heading towards earth. People think it may be the end of the world but it ends up landing in the Arctic ocean. Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock and the professor end up on an expedition to go to it. The meteor is made of a new material so it may be valuable. Unfortunately there is a rival expedition so there is a race on to get to the meteor first! The rivals will stop at nothing to get there first though!
This is another fun tale that was written in 1942 while Belgium was occupied by the Germans. Herge had originally made the bad guys Americans but that has since been changed. I enjoyed this a lot so it is yet another recommended one.0 -
Land of Black Gold by Herge
This is a story that had originally started to be published in 1939 but was interrupted by the Germans invading Belgium! Herge returned to it in 1948 and finished it off. All across Europe car engines are exploding and Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock head off to the Middle East to find out who is tampering with the oil supplies there. Tintin comes across an old enemy from the Black Island story that is causing trouble there......
This is a lot of fun and has those two loveable idiots Thomson and Thompson proving a lot of laughs through their usual pratfalls! Oliveira de Figueira who was first seen in Cigars of the Pharaoh, appears again in this story. He is the friendly Portuguese salesman! I really liked this story so another one that you should read!0 -
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The Calculus Affair by Herge
This is Tintin's eighteenth adventure and was written in 1954. Professor Calculus has invented a machine that can destroy things by sound waves but those competing countries of Borduria and Syldavia want to kidnap him to get those secrets. Tintin, Haddock and Snowy have to save him and figure a way out of the mess!
This is a really good story and is like a spy novel with the competing interests vying for new technology. Probably up there with one of Tintin's best adventures.0
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