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gracchus's Reviews (150)
I finished “Dark Passage” by David Goodis.
A man has been sentenced to lifelong imprisonment for the murder of his wife. Actually, he is innocent. He escapes and he remains free because there is a mysterious woman who helps him. The real murderer is still on the loose and is still dangerous.
The novel is incredibly thrilling, and you will be tacked onto the pages because of the short, fast-paced sentences. The protagonist gets into many difficult situations. The author is able to describe every one of these situations with his concise style, including all possible, resulting chains of events in the mind of the protagonist. Even imagined talks with the dead are believably depicted.
This novel is a 100% noir novel. Absolute genius! Recommendable. By the way, this novel is perfect for ESL readers.
A man has been sentenced to lifelong imprisonment for the murder of his wife. Actually, he is innocent. He escapes and he remains free because there is a mysterious woman who helps him. The real murderer is still on the loose and is still dangerous.
The novel is incredibly thrilling, and you will be tacked onto the pages because of the short, fast-paced sentences. The protagonist gets into many difficult situations. The author is able to describe every one of these situations with his concise style, including all possible, resulting chains of events in the mind of the protagonist. Even imagined talks with the dead are believably depicted.
This novel is a 100% noir novel. Absolute genius! Recommendable. By the way, this novel is perfect for ESL readers.
medium-paced
I read “Apex Magazine Mini Issue #1”. Apex Magazine has to fight because of tight finances. Therefore, the number of issues has been reduced from six to four per year. As consolation for these hard times, there is a little issue that consists of two short stories, two interviews and some reviews.
The short story “The Swap” by Lavie Tidhar was admittedly interesting, but it missed a punchline. I had the feeling that the story should go on further. It had to do with body swapping, including the connected lives with friends, family, work and so on, to the bodies.
The second short story, “The Hat Rack” by Katherine Heath Shaeffer, was _the_ gripping tale. I didn't have any clue where the journey would go. I was very curious about the denouement of the story. A person, whom everybody forgets, is missing. I was surprised by a very good punchline.
I have noted the novel “Maror” by Lavie Tidhar in his interview for maybe later. This issue is absolutely recommendable.
The short story “The Swap” by Lavie Tidhar was admittedly interesting, but it missed a punchline. I had the feeling that the story should go on further. It had to do with body swapping, including the connected lives with friends, family, work and so on, to the bodies.
The second short story, “The Hat Rack” by Katherine Heath Shaeffer, was _the_ gripping tale. I didn't have any clue where the journey would go. I was very curious about the denouement of the story. A person, whom everybody forgets, is missing. I was surprised by a very good punchline.
I have noted the novel “Maror” by Lavie Tidhar in his interview for maybe later. This issue is absolutely recommendable.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I have finished “Beyond the Wall, East Germany, 1949-1990” by Katja Hoyer. History is written by the Victors. Not always! Katja Hoyer is East German herself and was four years old during the Wende. Thus, she is a native German speaker. But she wrote this book in English, and it was translated into German by other people, because she is a journalist working in the UK. Thus, technically speaking, I read the book in its original language.
She offers a more objective view of the history of the GDR with its ups and downs instead of the everlasting, one-sided focus on issues like the Stasi, the illegitimate state, and the dictatorship. Of course, she also deals with these topics.
As an example, I list the coffee crisis in the 70s. That crisis led to a joint venture with Vietnam starting in 1975. The GDR delivered farming equipment and specialists and Vietnam delivered the tropical environment and workers. Together, they grew the coffee shrubs. They planned to exchange their goods instead of buying and selling them on the free market later. According to the fact that it takes time to grow new coffee shrubs, the great results came too late. The GDR ceased to exist when it came to the first harvest. As a result, Vietnam is the second-biggest coffee producer with its Robusta beans today.
The individual accounts from my family and acquaintances were not enough to get the history straight. I needed a historian to value and file the accounts and to learn the history altogether.
She offers a more objective view of the history of the GDR with its ups and downs instead of the everlasting, one-sided focus on issues like the Stasi, the illegitimate state, and the dictatorship. Of course, she also deals with these topics.
As an example, I list the coffee crisis in the 70s. That crisis led to a joint venture with Vietnam starting in 1975. The GDR delivered farming equipment and specialists and Vietnam delivered the tropical environment and workers. Together, they grew the coffee shrubs. They planned to exchange their goods instead of buying and selling them on the free market later. According to the fact that it takes time to grow new coffee shrubs, the great results came too late. The GDR ceased to exist when it came to the first harvest. As a result, Vietnam is the second-biggest coffee producer with its Robusta beans today.
The individual accounts from my family and acquaintances were not enough to get the history straight. I needed a historian to value and file the accounts and to learn the history altogether.
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I finished “Infinity Gate” by M.R. Carey. It is clear as day that Homo sapiens don't always make the hit to the top of the food chain if you have many possible variations of the Earth in the multiverse. Thus, there are worlds in which martens, bears, cats, and even rabbits climbed to the highest rung of evolution. Therefore, the novel sometimes appears like a Donald Duck pocket book (Disney Italy / Egmont) or the movie Zoomania when you imagine the figures and scenes. One heroine is a juvenile rabbity human who is still going to school. That appears pretty cute on the bottom line.
The main topic of the novel is that in spite of you having infinitely uninhabited, resource-rich worlds, paranoia and the lack of acknowledgment of unaccustomed self-conscious beings will fuck up all the good circumstances.
The novel was riveting and informative. It ended with an open end. Besides, M.R. Carey got counseling from Tade Thompson in all aspects regarding Lagos and Nigeria, because a part of the plot took place in Nigeria within our world and a similar world to ours.
The main topic of the novel is that in spite of you having infinitely uninhabited, resource-rich worlds, paranoia and the lack of acknowledgment of unaccustomed self-conscious beings will fuck up all the good circumstances.
The novel was riveting and informative. It ended with an open end. Besides, M.R. Carey got counseling from Tade Thompson in all aspects regarding Lagos and Nigeria, because a part of the plot took place in Nigeria within our world and a similar world to ours.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I finished „Scurry“by Seann Barbour. A girl who can speak with roaches becomes an outsider. But she will make friends later without completely fitting in with current norms. She will study entomology and keep a cockroach as a pet.
The novel is partly a serial killer horror novel with slasher elements. The eerie threat of the unknown killer is lurking in the backdrop of the novel and is more and more accelerating over time.
A further part is the lives of outsiders in an American suburb. The main point of view is that of Catty, the Roach Girl, who has to cope with many blows of fate and is clawing back into life. Her relationships are complicated and full of conflicts.
I could put myself in Cattie's shoes very easily, and the storyline was sometimes so dense with emotions that I had to take a break to dissociate myself.
The author gives us an understanding of life in this American suburb through many points of view and dialogues by the actors. The reader faces intolerance, misogyny, and contempt for poor people, queer people, and all people who don't fit into a common pattern. The culture of this suburb is shaped by the uniformity and contempt of all that deviates from the norm. Besides, the reader also encounters one ease of blaming the weak for all problems. For all that misery, it was even better to encounter sometimes nice people in this novel too.
The described uniformity of this suburb reminds me of the uniformity of the commie blocks in the former GDR. The flats of them sometimes even had the same furnishings.
The novel gripped me right off the bat. The language isn't too difficult for ESL readers. It is completely recommendable.
The novel is partly a serial killer horror novel with slasher elements. The eerie threat of the unknown killer is lurking in the backdrop of the novel and is more and more accelerating over time.
A further part is the lives of outsiders in an American suburb. The main point of view is that of Catty, the Roach Girl, who has to cope with many blows of fate and is clawing back into life. Her relationships are complicated and full of conflicts.
I could put myself in Cattie's shoes very easily, and the storyline was sometimes so dense with emotions that I had to take a break to dissociate myself.
The author gives us an understanding of life in this American suburb through many points of view and dialogues by the actors. The reader faces intolerance, misogyny, and contempt for poor people, queer people, and all people who don't fit into a common pattern. The culture of this suburb is shaped by the uniformity and contempt of all that deviates from the norm. Besides, the reader also encounters one ease of blaming the weak for all problems. For all that misery, it was even better to encounter sometimes nice people in this novel too.
The described uniformity of this suburb reminds me of the uniformity of the commie blocks in the former GDR. The flats of them sometimes even had the same furnishings.
The novel gripped me right off the bat. The language isn't too difficult for ESL readers. It is completely recommendable.