fiction - Book Reviews (Page 2)

Death Comes For The Archbishop

Published in 1927, "Death Comes For The Archbishop" feels like a much more recent novel. Writing in a beautiful, timeless style, Cather crafts a southwestern legend that reaches across time to touch our souls. The breadth and depth of emotion in this barely 200 page book stunned me.

5-stars

The Satanic Verses

Surreally cynical, flamingly controversial, and surprisingly touching, Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" is a work of art. Structuring a frame narrative around the intersecting paths of two Indian actors as they flit between London and Bombay, Rushdie made me laugh, frown, ponder, and reflect as he told of Gibreel

5-stars

The Road

There's a certain comfort to knowing that things can't get any worse. While McCarthy's "The Road" is undeniably bleak and occasionally disturbing, I was surprised to frequently find myself in a peaceful, semi-meditative mood as I progressed through the novel. No doubt part of this effect is due

4-stars

The Remains of the Day

Ishiguro gently seduces the reader by narrating "The Remains of the Day" from the unlikely perspective of a genteel English butler during early twentieth-century Britain. Nothing particularly dramatic or exciting happens, but the fastidiously professional Stevens gently pulls at our heartstrings in this restrained but elegantly written account

3-stars

Shadow of the Wind

I almost gave up on this book, but I'm glad I didn't. "The Shadow of the Wind" starts off as a dark, surreal fairy tale and eventually transforms into a gothic detective novel / tender love story. Very odd, but somehow it works. Ultimately though, this novel is Zafón's

5-stars

Heart of Darkness

The horror! The horror! Famed Shakespearean Kenneth Branagh's audiobook narration transports the listener to a hauntingly dark and surreal place. Quite first rate, that narration - this Branagh fellow will go far I do say. The Company has great hopes for him. Though Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" is

5-stars

The Day of the Jackal

A masterpiece of the genre. "The Day of the Jackal" is an old-school spy thriller written with a pitch-perfect tone and style. I eagerly allowed myself to be swept away as Forysth's tightly-plotted novel came together with the beauty and precision of a meticulously constructed piece of clockwork.

3-stars

State of Fear

Remember that time in 2004 when Michael Crichton wrote a climate-change skepticism book? Neither do I. That's why I was so surprised to come across this book as I was researching my 2017 reading focus on "The Integrity of Western Science." In "State of Fear", Crichton

5-stars

Norse Mythology

In his "Norse Mythology," Neil Gaiman recounts tales of ancient gods in a modern tongue. With loving devotion to his craft, Gaiman delivers a masterpiece of storytelling. Full of life and laughter and cleverness, his meticulous retelling of these classic stories reflects how seriously Gaiman takes mythology. The

5-stars

Stranger in a Strange Land

"Stranger in a Strange Land" is a monumental achievement of (science) fiction - a satirical yet compassionate meditation on human relationships - love, religion, sex, jealousy, intimacy, language, self-interest, innocence, and duplicity. I love reading great post-WWII / pre-Internet sci-fi - the Buckminster-Fuller-esque spirit of techno-utopianism and the radical

series

Red Rising Trilogy

The Red Rising Trilogy is a savage, dark, team-based Hunger Games for space Romans. It is wonderful. First-time author Pierce Brown takes a commanding position at the vanguard of this generation's army of young-adult dystopian fiction authors. After a bit of a shaky start, Brown really comes into his own

4-stars

The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

Steampunk meets nanotechnology and virtual reality in "The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer". I'm generally a Neal Stephenson fan, and this novel does not disappoint. Over 20 years after its original publication in 1995, it still reads like a fresh and modern piece of science

fiction

A Whole New Mind

"A Whole New Mind" takes one reasonable idea and then panders and blathers for six hours about it. This is a book that should have been a tweet. It's a shame because this could have been an interesting book - the question of "what do humans do

4-stars

A Strangeness in My Mind

This is a great work of literature (winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize). Although the subject matter is mundane - the life of the yogurt/boza seller Mevlut in Istanbul - Pamuk uses this ordinary backdrop to compose a moving meditation on loneliness in the modern world. The novel is

5-stars

The Confessions of Nat Turner

"The Confessions of Nat Turner" is a beautiful and ugly work of literature. In his fictionalized retelling of the 1831 Virginia slave rebellion, William Styron forces us to confront the the violent and paradoxical nature of American slavery and Christianity. Through the eyes of Nat Turner - leader

fiction

Harry Bosch series

The Harry Bosch series is a L.A. noir police procedural told through the eyes of homicide detective Harry Bosch. Though the concept of a troubled, reserved, wise-cracking semi-vigilante cop isn't anything new, Connelly's execution is great and I always look forward to listening to another audiobook in this series.

fiction

Stonemouth

"Stonemouth" is a simple story expertly told. Stewart Gilmour's voice is strong, genuine, and compelling. As Stewart guides us through his life experience in a mob-controlled small town in Scotland, his self-aware and bitingly cynical tone is a constant delight. Banks unfurled an otherwise ordinary story in a

fiction

Harry Hole series

The "Harry Hole" series of detective novels is a thrilling addition to the wave of dark Scandinavian crime fiction. Falling firmly into the classic "troubled but brilliant cop" genre, Jo Nesbo writes clever, violent, and troubling mysteries featuring the brilliantly tenacious and occasionally alcoholic Norwegian policeman

fiction

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is a self-aware and exuberant first novel by David Shafer. How do you know when you're crazy or when a global cabal is actually hatching schemes for world domination? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot unfurls its story through the eyes of three intertwined characters: the no-nonsense / hot-stuff

fiction

The Buried Giant

"The Buried Giant" is a strange, surreal account of an old couple as they wander through post-Arthurian England trying to find their son. The plot gimmick is that everyone seems to have amnesia and the past is lost in a fog of forgetfulness. As Axl and Beatrice perambulate

fiction

Hadji Murad

"Hadji Murád" is Tolstoy's haunting novel about a Chechen warrior caught between the occupying Russian imperial forces and his hostile Chechen compatriots. Although it is remarkably short - just over 100 pages - Tolstoy manages to paint a picture of astonishing power and detail. The cast of characters

review

Ready Player One

Exuberant and clever. Ready Player One is a thriller/quest fueled by a fiery passion for 80's videogaming and pop culture. Not being a big gamer myself (and having just missed the 80's), I hesitated to pick this one up. I shouldn't have worried. Even non-gamers will be able to

review

The Power of the Dog

Phenomenal. As I said in my review of The Cartel, this series is essentially "Game of Thrones" set in the War on Drugs. "The Power of the Dog" is fast-paced, eye-opening, and feels like a sucker-punch to the gut. Meticulously researched, it is a fictional account

fiction

The Man in the High Castle

"The Man in the High Castle" is a fascinating alternative history, but gets very stylistically strange towards the end. Not sure what Philip K Dick was trying to achieve by having everyone speak/think in such a clipped manner. This is one of the few books where the

fiction

Cormoran Strike series

The "Cormoran Strike" series is J.K. Rowling's sally into the world of detective fiction. I was surprised at how much I liked the first book and how compelling the Cormoran & Robin dynamic was. Beyond the core sleuthing, JKR weaves in a commentary on modern life and