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A review by sofabell
Fifty Forgotten Books by R. B. Russell
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
I bought this book on a whim in Blackwell's Oxford. I liked the sleek cover, and the blurb sounded cosy and inviting. I'm always looking for new authors and especially love discovering relatively unknown ones. I'm a big fan of Persephone publishers in Bath, who focus on little-known female authors, and this seemed right up my alley.
It's a well written, engaging read, with a good mix of literary material and personal anecdotes from the author. However, I was disappointed to find that the books recommended were almost exclusively in the horror/thriller/gothic novel category, with a heavy focus on magic and the occult. This isn't a bad thing per se, but it is highly specific, and isn't my taste at all. While I understand that this work is a personal collection of favourites and reflects the author's own taste, I would have appreciated a wider range of genres. I still enjoyed it, and don't necessarily mean this review as a criticism, but more as a note to others before reading and/or purchasing.
It's a well written, engaging read, with a good mix of literary material and personal anecdotes from the author. However, I was disappointed to find that the books recommended were almost exclusively in the horror/thriller/gothic novel category, with a heavy focus on magic and the occult. This isn't a bad thing per se, but it is highly specific, and isn't my taste at all. While I understand that this work is a personal collection of favourites and reflects the author's own taste, I would have appreciated a wider range of genres. I still enjoyed it, and don't necessarily mean this review as a criticism, but more as a note to others before reading and/or purchasing.