The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler review
05/07/2011 § Leave a comment
Eric, a doctor specialising in trauma care, is persuaded to resurrect his long buried gift of hypnotism to extract information from the sole survivor of a ferocious massacre. But, when Eric’s son is kidnapped it seems that the secrets of his past have caught up with him. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled; the level of awkwardness in the narrative gives this book a childlike feel, and the plot is strung together by the most tedious of tendrils. The Hypnotist was clearly engineered to emulate Larsson and its sole achievement is that it exceeds itself. It is even more appalling.
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey Review
05/07/2011 § Leave a comment
James Frey’s memoir describes his odyssey through a notable American rehabilitation centre after hitting rock bottom as a crack addict. The author’s thoughts tumble onto the page unhampered by grammatical rules, blurring the line between his thoughts and actions and reflective of his chaotic mental state. This hard hitting book is not for the faint hearted; the narrative is permeated with harrowing and sometimes gruesome scenes, necessary to the book’s raw and brutally honest portrayal of lifelong addiction. A Million Little Pieces is immensely rewarding, and all the more affective for being based on a true journey.
Sweeney Todd, or The String of Pearls by James Malcolm Rymer/Thomas Peckett Prest Review
20/06/2011 § Leave a comment
The earliest version of this famous story bears witness to the mysterious disappearance of Lieutenant Thornhill, the details of which only his faithful dog seems privy to. The mutt proceeds to obstinately skulks around a certain barber shop on Fleet street, which lies in close proximity to the famous Lovett’s Pie shop. Its mysterious persistence leads interested parties to unravel a unique story of murder, treasure and love. Sweeney Todd is darkly humorous, with a quintessentially British eccentricity and matter-of-fact divulgence of gloriously gruesome discoveries. The deliciously bizarre plot and wit as sharp as Sweeney’s barber blades make the original version an undervalued gem.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver Review
12/06/2011 § Leave a comment
Eva recounts the events leading up to her son Kevin massacring several peers and one teacher in his school Gym via unanswered letters to her absent husband. The plot is openly aligned to the contemporary Columbine epidemic whilst retaining a uniqueness and originality. This is not historical fiction but a persistently unsettling exploration of society’s taboos. Shriver balances the reader’s submissive correspondence with a suspect narrator with the unapologetically unanswerable Nature vs. Nurture debate. The story suspends the reader on tenterhooks despite bearing a largely foregone conclusion and compels its audience to squirm with discomfort as effectively as Kevin himself.
Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist Review
12/06/2011 § Leave a comment
A victimised weakling, Oskar is a Swedish schoolboy who wishes he had the courage to wreak bloody revenge on his teenage tormentors. Enter Eli, the cold and dirty urchin with whom Oskar forms an unlikely and binding friendship. This book is not an average horror story but don’t be fooled into believing that you will not be horrified. Hardly a tale of tender friendship against the odds, this story transports the reader to a bleak and unenviable existence where clever narrative devices and complex characterisation develop sympathy for the unnatural and abhorrent. The plot is suspenseful, terrifying and thought provoking.
Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield Review
11/06/2011 § Leave a comment
Xeo is the sole Spartan survivor of the bloody battle of the Thermopylae, held captive so his defeaters may learn how 300 men kept the Persian hoards at bay, only to be vanquished by betrayal. Reading Pressfield, it’s easy to understand why producers of 300 considered basing their picture on Gates of Fire. The factual basis of the ultimate underdog story is expertly utilised to envelop readers in an alien world, where war and death were a way of life. Intimately researched, with a narrative as relentlessly engaging as its subjects, Gates of Fire is a gloriously rampant gore fest.
Night Waking by Sarah Moss Review
30/05/2011 § Leave a comment
Anna is a mother on a remote island struggling to manage her marriage, workload and two young children when she discovers a baby’s skeleton in her garden. She proceeds to neglect all domestic duties in favour of investigating the child’s untimely demise. The narrative is bleak and repetitive, and the subplot of the island’s historically high infant mortality rate is mediocre. It could be said to effectively mirror the trials of daily life with children and an unsupportive husband. But whether anyone would want to experience that over 375 dreary pages, which culminate in an anticlimactic ending, is another matter.
Like my reviews?
28/05/2011 § Leave a comment
Look out for my next 3 book reviews (and 1 music one) in Stylist Magazine issue 81, out 8th June.
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.
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