The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time by Mark Haddon Review
28/05/2011 § 3 Comments
When Christopher, a teenager with Asperger’s Syndrome, finds a dog murdered on his street he decides to seek out the culprit and write a murder mystery along the way. As he narrates his detecting we witness his ardently regulated world fall apart. Haddon has created a challenging character that is extremely well researched and magnificently portrayed. In addition to succeeding in being an intriguing, if unconventional, detective story, this novel reveals the thoughts of a person who is innately difficult to comprehend. Hilarious and humbling, it’s a whirlwind education in the struggles faced by those with Asperger’s. Everyone should read this.
Moby Dick By Herman Melville Review
28/05/2011 § 2 Comments
Novice whaler Ishmael recounts the all consuming vendetta of Captain Ahab against his gargantuan nemesis, the white whale Moby Dick. This American classic is beautifully written, telling of unique friendship, action and peril whilst utilising intricate allegories and hidden messages that are deliberately biblical in style. However, the main narrative is overtaken by historical accounts of the 19th century whaling industry. Further, Ishmael’s story telling is at times disembodied and his characterisation incongruous with his brawny shipmates. Moby Dick is instantly intriguing to those with nautical interests, but otherwise a book to be studied before it can be enjoyed.
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen Review
28/05/2011 § Leave a comment
This is a firsthand account of a girl’s experience of being entombed within the American mental health system. Girl, Interrupted is an autobiography that reads like a novel, which immerses the reader in a world where the astoundingly abnormal is accepted with sardonic insightfulness. Kaysen describes her descent into madness with a punchy wit; consistently ignoring her own lunacies in favour of observing those of others. As each character is dissected, the reader becomes aware of their own disquieting fascination with the insane. This book will make you consider your own mental state, and you’ll have fun along the way.
Flipnosis by Kevin Dutton Review
06/05/2011 § Leave a comment
Dr Kevin Dutton catalogues examples of split-second persuasion or ‘Flipnosis’. Dutton unlocks the secrets of a baby’s face, uncovers dastardly scams and tantalises with analyses of The Psychopath. Flipnosis is an easy read that supplies intriguing anecdotes and entertaining experiments to relay to the amazement of your friends. What Dutton lacks is consistent relevance to his primary theme or the ability to follow through on his allusions to being able to teach the reader to become an expert ‘Flipnotist’. This leaves what is simply a pretty enjoyable regurgitation of other people’s ideas, with a catchy title, but no real purpose.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Review
06/05/2011 § 5 Comments
Pip narrates his journey from humble beginnings in childhood to the fulfilment of his ‘Great Expectations’ in the big city at the hands of a mystery benefactor. This is a timeless tale, with unmistakably Dickensian multidimensionality, which draws on the entire sphere of the reader’s emotions. At once a story of intrigue and love, comedy and tragedy, drama and poise, Great Expectations acts as an astute evaluation of the human condition that is unequivocally relevant to society today. Memorable quotes on every page and intricate characterisation deservedly place this novel amongst the best ever written.
A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks Review
26/04/2011 § 1 Comment
In the week it takes for a politician’s wife to plan a dinner party, the evolving lives of seven controversial characters (ranging from an islamic extremist to a hedge fund manager) intertwine to form a metaphoric evaluation of London circa 2007. Sadly, a lack of character development and intruiging plot lines leave nothing but an uninteresting run through the week of characters who are impossible to relate to. The brash and gaudy references to media phenomenon and industry giants leave a bitter taste of an author with an axe to grind that overcomes the satyrical insightfulness that was surely intended.
Room by Emma Donoghue Review
26/04/2011 § Leave a comment
*As featured on Stylist.co.uk*
Winner: Stylist Culture Critic
Meet Jack; a boy whose perception of the world is limited to the 12ft square Room from which he has never left. Child of his incarcerated ‘Ma’ and her monstrous captor, Jack’s life is dominated by an intense relationship with his mother, and the deceptions that she has woven to keep the miseries of his existence from him. Horrific themes are introduced by cleverly structured omissions to create a novel that is ultimately a glimpse into the private world of a mother and her son, with ever present intimations of the Fritzl case adding an effectively unsettling chill to every word.
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