The Dubliners, Volume 1 by James Joyce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

James Joyce’s collection of stories about the people of Dublin at the turn of the 19th century was perhaps a little too subtle in parts for this reader. It is mainly a portrayal of the middle classes of those times and did not convey enough in depth information about the lower agricultural and serving classes to demand much of my interest. Having said that I found the last story entitled The Dead, to be the most intriguing and compelling. It was both and moving and revealing in its telling. As a collection of short stories this is probably one of the finest examples for later writers of the genre in its structure and pace for each episode felt complete and satisfying. Many of the stories leave one with lingering thoughts and considerations regarding the people that you may have met in your own life. The author touches upon several societal issues that persist today, such as feminism, class and racism, through his use of realistic dialogue.
As an introduction for me to the writing of Joyce I cannot say that I was engaged or entertained enough to turn to one of his later novels, but I daresay I will be reading one soon, if only to find out for myself why he has been so acclaimed by so many. I will admit, however, that some of the portraits that he paints with his words did leave me full of admiration for his literary skills and wanting more.


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Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this rather different Rebus novel he has been ordered to attend a refresher course, having been guilty of insubordination against his senior officer. While there he is assigned a ‘test’ by working on an old unsolved case with a group of classmates, who Rebus suspects are ruthless and corrupt drug dealers. The case turns out to be an old investigation from his past, and his senses are alerted further, detecting a plot, something aimed at himself. His DS, Siobhan Clarke, meanwhile is working on the murder of an art dealer and he also gets involved in assisting her. The whole thing looks as though it might be part of a grand conspiracy, possibly with deadly consequences.

This novel gives the reader even more enjoyable information about Rebus’s character and constitution. Once again the pace of the story is rapid and there is much to enjoy about the descriptions of some of the major cities of Scotland, such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. I found much of the dialogue amusing and believable and enough intriguing twists in the tale to keep me guessing throughout. All of these aspects are not surprisingly found in an Ian Rankin crime thriller and continue to hook me in.


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The Black Book by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Inspector John Rebus gets involved in an old case, against the advice of his superiors, we know we’re in for another intriguing and complicated read. There is a charred body amongst the ashes of a burned hotel in Edinburgh, as well as an attack on his close colleague, Brian Holmes, who has a black notebook with important hidden clues for Rebus to follow. The reappearance of Big Ger, an old adversary of Rebus, is bound to make the case more complex and it meant I could settle to yet another satisfying crime thriller from this superb author. We have an extra surprise this time with Rebus’s brother trying to hold down his drug habit, and needing somewhere to stay!

The elements for a satisfying read can always be found in one of Rankin’s Rebus books: a fascinating central character, with a list of interesting individuals accompanying him; realistic and often amusing dialogue; great Scottish settings; and twists and turns in the tale to make one keep turning the pages. Having read about six of the books in the Rebus series, in no particular order, I still look forward to finding another one, with high expectations of an entertaining read.


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Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very intriguing story, or rather 3 stories since there are 3 cases to be solved. Rebus and Siobhan get separately and together into an investigation that involves an asylum seeker; another that has his colleague, Siobhan, looking for a missing teenager; and a case that appears to be some kind of practical sick joke, with bodies under a concrete floor.

I was quite surprised to read about a possible romantic involvement for the dour inspector, and nevertheless wanted it to progress. The title of the novel gives away the likelihood of some grisly discoveries along the way. As usual I found Ian Rankin’s tale compelling as well as (even more) informative about Edinburgh. Each one of the Rebus series of novels always drags me into it when I wish to read a thriller full of suspense, and occasional snippets of humour. A very good read.


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Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I began reading Castle Rackrent because I was interested in the author, as an influence of her contemporaries such as Jane Austen and Walter Scott, but also because I knew it was a satire about the Irish gentry of the 18th century. While I became quite intrigued by the story I cannot claim to have totally enjoyed it, or even to be amused by the suspected humour contained within it. For me it became a sad reflection of the abuse and indulgence displayed by an irresponsibly despotic upper class of the society of those times.
An ancient retainer, Thady Quirk, to four of the Lords of Rackrent tells the story throughout and, while he observes a suitably subservient position, he is so exact in his descriptions of their behaviour there is plenty for the reader to feel critical about the aristocrats. The land and all its possessions eventually are lost to the family through the profligacy of the various Lords. It is a tale well told by Maria Edgeworth, with irony and a few comic touches through the servants’ language. I was pleased in the end to have read one of the first historical novels in the English language and was at least quite entertained by the book.


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Humane Physics: No Student Was Harmed in Writing This Book by Francis Mont
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found ‘Humane Physics’ to be a fascinating approach to the presentation, for the layperson, of a whole history of scientific discoveries, and the significant figures involved. However, it does tend to concentrate on physics as the author’s particular specialism. I enjoyed reading Mont’s comments and opinions about my own science heroes, from such as Galileo to Feynman. There was no doubt in my mind that this was his attempt to justify the validity of the fundamental principles behind scientific methodology (as developed eventually into more recent times) as a way of thinking in order to solve (some of?) the problems facing the world of today: climate change; loss of biodiversity and habitat; oceanic pollution; pandemics etc. For me that is an admirable aim and all strength to his arm!
The author often uses humour and logic in a way that encourages the layman or woman to read on, often dealing with the philosophy of more ancient thinkers, such as the Greeks, as well as giants like Einstein, Planck and Hawking. He does allow for readers who are less inclined to be mathematically able, or even, fascinated by the in-depth stuff to come nearer the end of his book; and suitable warnings are issued in the first few pages. As a retired science teacher I found this book to have my respect and approval for both the way that the author tackles his main objective, and the obvious sincerity behind it. It is a great guide for everyone to the tenets controlling the universe, and also as a part of a menu that includes plenty of foods for thought. To partly requote the blurb: it gives the reader a rounded picture of science in an integrated and comprehensive way.


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Survival of the Fairest by Cathleen Townsend
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I had reached chapters 4 and 5 it became obvious that this story was an allegorical telling of the Snow White fairy tale. The wicked step-mother and her magical mirrors have made an entry, and it’s not long before the woodcutter’s alter ego and the seven dwarves also arrive on the scene. With Gwen, as Snow White, escaping from her harsh, over-bearing father and his cruel new wife, we already had a very intriguing and captivating plot. So, I was not sure whether the “spoiler” title of the book was really necessary. For me the essence of the book was an underlying disapproval of slavery and the downtrodden position of females in the society and class-ridden communities of the times. It is set during the California Gold Rush and the start of the American Civil War.
Gwen, aka Janet, is a brave and kind young woman who deserves our respect and admiration throughout the book. She had me rooting for her right up to the unsatisfactory ending. I suppose there was a clue in the title including the words ‘Part 1’ but it did not lessen the disappointment in its abruptness. I always feel let down and cheated when such an obvious ‘hook’ to read the next book is included on the last page. Her romantic encounters as a naïve girl of sixteen are touchingly written; as are the individual personalities of each of the dwarves, their devotion to Gwen being so sweet and honest one could only wish for ‘uncles’ like hers. Cathleen Townsend is an excellent writer whose narrative and dialogue feels real and suitably pacey, although, as a keen DIYer, I had my doubts at times about the speed with which they were all able to complete various tasks (woodcraft or cookery!) when the setting was out in the wild countryside of grizzlies and deer. The plot was so well-founded and authentic I’m still not sure if the story needed those fantasy elements of witches and magic.


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Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Very intriguing but long tale of loss and corruption.

I enjoyed the book from beginning to end but the content in between was so full of enormous amounts of detail that I found it very hard going at times. Some of the descriptions that Dickens launched into were so longwinded and wordy that you forget what he is trying to say. It could have been cut by at least a third and still be enjoyed as much if not more!

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Love Is Dead[ly] by Gene Kendall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I usually look forward to reading crime or detective stories but unfortunately this book had a paranormal take on it, a genre I usually resist. The main character, Bradley, is an investigator who is attempting to relieve grieving parents of several thousand dollars by calming their deceased daughter’s restless spirit. While some readers may be intrigued enough to read on, by such a plot, it did not appeal to me. Even the ‘fact’ of Bradley being a medium who is able to contact ghosts and phantoms failed to interest me. Back in the distant past I was a fan of the novels of Dennis Wheatley and then some of Stephen King. I think I must have grown out of liking ghost stories a long time ago and I found this novel, admittedly amongst many others like it, rather tedious to complete. It was well written and his partner in the business being his ex-wife, Sandra, added an extra twist to the tale. The constant changing of the POV for each chapter was annoying. It is something that I always find irritating in any novel, particularly when using the first person as narrator.
Bradley was a shallow character who I found difficult to like, although Sandra was much more pleasant. There was some humour to lighten things up occasionally and plenty of action to add pace. However, it was just not my kind of book any more so it was a relief to make it to the last page!


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Everywhen by Ed Morawski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To begin with this sci-fi book had a lot going for it for this particular reader. As a retired teacher of science and technology, I was curious to see how the two main protagonists, the Documenter and Aardarsh Chadha, were going to set about building and utilising their Everywhen machine. It would involve the various concepts of parallel universes, quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of relativity – not a simple feat for anyone, even the ‘smartest man in the world’ as Aardarsh is claimed to be by the author. A lot of the detailed science is naturally left out but the principles discussed were so intriguing that I wished to read on.
But then, after about three chapters, the whole tale descended into a tasteless and lurid description of sexual activity between the so-called Documenter and Angie, a girl he had just met. It was not something that I had settled down to read; it was pornographic; it was erotica and not a genre I would ever choose to read! No doubt the author felt it was necessary to include such descriptions to hook the reader to turn the following pages. However, it was a definite turn-off for this reader!
It meant that I rapidly read the rest of the story without taking in too much of the plot as I went, feeling somewhat cheated and insulted. I was hoping of course to skip past any more erotica that jumped out of the tale, and to my mind, very much out of context to the main narrative. Maybe some of the teenage boys I have taught would find it titillating?
The technological and financial obstacles the pair meet along the way are dealt with in a competent fashion and the characters and dialogue show skilful writing talent. We are moving to and fro in time, with real people like Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy and Princess Diana to add a bit of contemporary historical spice to the story.
There was a definite need for some proof-reading and editing, so that plus the tasteless erotica reduced my rating to 3 stars only. I cannot say I enjoyed the book in the end.


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