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robinwalter's Reviews (1.87k)
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I scored this anthology only 4/5 not because it was less than excellent but simply because it was too emotionally draining. Brutal and uncompromising, the poems within were often very painful to read. Of course, the world they describe is so much more painful and vicious, but the emotional faitgue of reading them all was a bit overwhelming.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Another excellent example of the value of the Storygraph's "Read the World Challenge", reading because ABOUT a place by writers FROM that place. This one was a dense examination of the impact of colonialism on Islam in what is now Indonesia and Malasia, and it was fascinating reading. Clearly laid out and well argued, it was detailed and very nuanced. The structure of the analyses was interesting too, outlining both the similarities and the difference between the Dutch approach in what is now Indonesia and the British in what is now Malaysia
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An excellent backgrounder into a belief system I knew little about. The detailed analysis of the origins and devlopment of Rastafari by a Jamaican historian was thoughtful, balanced and very, very informative. It clearly showed the sociopolitical context in which the religion and culture of Rastafari developed. Highly recommended
challenging
informative
reflective
I really like the "Reader" style of histories. THe collation and collection of articles about Ghana from Gahanaians, was very informative and ensured a different perspective to that of an external historical summary. I learned a lot, which was the objective.
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Fast and fun, and quite topical too. An enjoyable addition to the series
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A fine addition to the series, with the working relationship of te leads growing nicely. I laos loved the 'big eveal' at the end, nicely done.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lucy comes across as REALLY unlikeable in this one, and quite spectacularly incompetent as a detective. Basically, she suspects EVERYONE in tunen, without worrying about evidence or proof, accepts anonymous poison pen letters as "evidence" and thinks the worst of her own husband.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The surprise reveal at the end boosted the score for me, but I still found the accused repugnant
The style did not gel with me, and I'm not a fan of sanuinary murder mysteries
I always struggle to connect with any bookw wherein the author can't even be bothered to try writing in period apporpriate language. "a person of any agency" does NOT sound like standard UK English of the Edwardian era.