philantrop's reviews
1756 reviews

Angels Flight by Michael Connelly

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

While I’m writing this, it’s the 4th of May 2024. It still feels weird to live in a world without Paul Auster in it. When I went to bed on the 30th of April, he was still there. On the morning of the 1st of May, when I opened the New York Times app on my phone, a black-and-white picture of Paul Auster gave it away. 

I had known he was fighting cancer but I thought he had time… Time for more novels - after all, his novels have been present in my life for decades, most of my life. Auster’s novels were never easy to read but they were worth the effort. 

Why am I prefacing a review of “Angels Flight” with that? First and foremost, I’m writing these reviews for myself. They add to my enjoyment of the novel discussed and they also serve as a reminder of them, and who I was when I read them. Of course, I’m also writing them for you, dear reader, and I love it when you like them (so, hit that button right now, what are you waiting for?) but that’s a bonus.

When looking for my next read, I first reached for a novel by Auster but I quickly realised, in my state of mind, I couldn’t enjoy it. So I decided to continue my Harry Bosch binge-reading and that turned out to be an excellent idea because it put me into a reading frenzy!

This time, Harry is called in to investigate the murder of a hotshot civil rights lawyer who was suing the LAPD for extreme police brutality against his client. Harry quickly discovers that the lawyer was right and his client completely innocent. Harry’s own colleagues, though, among them his former partner and old friend, Frankie Sheehan, as well as his nemesis, John Chastain of the Internal Affairs Division (IAD), feature prominently among the cast of this absolute page turner.

»[Bosch] “What? What am I doing?”
[Chastain]: “You’re thinning us out. That way you have better control.”
He waited for Bosch to reply but only got silence.
“But eventually, if we’re going to do this thing right, you are going to have to trust us.”
After a pause, Bosch said, “I know that.”«

Teamed up with Chastain and his entourage at first, later joined by Roy Lindell of the FBI (and the previous novel), Bosch is the same old “hard-boiled” detective he always was, but - also as always - with a spin. Bosch is still willing to learn and to adapt. He’s alienated by computers at best but in contrast to many of his colleagues, he’s not only willing to learn but he’s not shy to ask for help:

»Rider came around the desk and looked down at the printout.
“It’s a web page.”
“Right. So how do we get to it and take a look?”
“Let me get in there.”«

(Kizmin Rider is a female colleague of Harry’s.)

Sadly, as good as the novel is in almost every aspect, the author’s fledgling grasp of the then-emerging web technology is embarrassingly rendered. What Connelly writes about web pages, cookies, and other stuff is probably the worst technobabble I’ve ever read. Highly annoying if one knows better but good enough for everyone else.

As usual, Connelly’s other writing is smooth and wonderfully readable. The story itself is very engaging and represents a clear step-up from the previous novel, easily becoming one of the most suspenseful Bosch novels so far.

Unfortunately, the ending came unexpectedly quickly: The story was fully wrapped-up but the way it ends is satisfying in its consequences, but it feels rushed with chances to redeem a major character lost, and a few threads not loose, but at least not neatly tied up as in every other Bosch novel so far. 

Nevertheless, I read till I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and - very uncharacteristically for me - I started reading again almost immediately after waking up without even checking in on my computer.

A clear winner that garners 4.5 stars out of five from me, rounded up to five.


P.S.: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6eG0lyAgR-/



Trunk Music by Michael Connelly

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

»“Still the same old Bosch. Your way or the highway.”«

In this instalment, Bosch is back from his involuntary leave and investigates a case of the eponymous “trunk music” - a murdered man in the trunk of his own car. Bosch himself is pretty much as he always was but around him, things changed: His lieutenant, Pounds, is on another kind of involuntary and permanent “leave” and was replaced by Grace Billets.

Bosch: »I’d heard that you didn’t have any actual time on a homicide table while you were coming up,” he said to her.
Billets: “That’s true. My only job as an actual detective was working sexual crimes in Valley Bureau.”
Bosch: “Well, for what it’s worth, I would have assigned things just the way you just did.”
Billets: “But did it annoy you that I did it instead of you?”
Bosch thought a moment.
Bosch: “I’ll get over it.”«


I liked this exchange - which is indicative of their entire relationship in this book - because, yes, he’s still “same old Bosch”: Direct, confrontational, but honest, and willing to move beyond his prejudice.

Billets recognises the old-fashioned cop and is equally direct, sparing him no challenges. She also stands up for him repeatedly. I very quickly took to Billets and greatly enjoyed her character. 


»“It’s Bosch.”
“Well, the Michelangelo of murder, the Rodin of homicide.”«

Alas, not everything is as good as usual: There’s a major twist after more than two thirds of the novel that the reader long sees coming. I was impatient with Bosch and colleagues to realise it and that somewhat marred my enjoyment.

Nevertheless, the writing is still very good and there are some very suspenseful parts of the narration. I also enjoyed the reappearance of Eleanor Wish and “that one stop” in Vegas…

3.5 stars out of five, rounded up to 4 stars.




The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

From Sartre to Connelly: Last year, at a meeting, a colleague told me she had found my website and mentioned how diverse my reading was. I guess she was right. (Hi, Barbara!)

I came from an exhausting read and needed something to just plain enjoy, to read-wallow in, and to indulge in - and “The Last Coyote” was pretty much the perfect book for that.

Harry, on leave for attacking his superior, Pounds, makes it his mission to finally solve his mother’s murder. Most of the people from back then, the 60s, are dead and/or unwilling to talk. The rest are still among the high-and-mighty and Bosch doesn’t play nice with the latter kind of person.

Harry also attends mandatory counselling sessions with a therapist. I really liked this part of the narration on many levels: In 1997, getting professional help and allowing others to help was still not entirely normalised. Maybe not quite stigmatised anymore, people, especially men, wouldn’t (in general) talk about such topics openly.

Not only is this therapy positively depicted here, but the old stigma is addressed in constructive ways. It also gives us more of Bosch’s personal background, which I immensely enjoyed because Bosch is a complex character. 

»“These stories, Harry,” she finally said, “these stories that you tell are heartbreaking in their own way. It makes me see the boy who became the man. It makes me see the depth of the hole left by your mother’s death. You know, you would have a lot to blame her for and no one would blame you for doing it.”«

He’s gloriously imperfect and broken but instead of simply going into denial which is Harry’s first instinctive reaction, he opens up. He makes the decision to work on himself and it showed.

I really liked the psychologist as well: A very down-to-earth person who takes Harry very seriously and who is very transparent for him as well. 


»You’re not understanding what I’m saying. I don’t want any guilty person to get away, especially with murder. But what I am talking about here is you. You are my only concern here.«



During his investigation, Harry meets a woman, of course, in whom he finds both a lover and his match…



»“Something tells me it’s a good story.”
    “What’s that?”
“Whatever it is you’re doing. If you ever feel like telling it, the number’s in the paper. But you already know that.”
    Bosch nodded. He was speechless. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him.«


I grinned broadly over their interactions as I liked pretty much everything about those two.

»“You want to come home with me, Bosch?”
Now he hesitated. Not because there was any deliberation in his answer. But he wanted her to have the chance to withdraw it in case she had spoken too quickly. After a moment of silence from her he smiled and nodded.
“Yes, I would like that.”«


Of course, Bosch is Bosch and, thus, not everything is as consensual as the previous quotation implies…


»IN THE MORNING Bosch awoke first. He took a shower and borrowed Jasmine’s toothbrush without asking.«



As always, this novel was wonderfully written: very smooth, readable, intelligent prose that is greatly structured in every possible way. I became so immersed in the story, I didn’t even get to think “just one more page!”. I just read on, ignoring everything else.

The mystery itself is thrilling and engaging but for me at least, it’s the characters who really make or break a story, not just the twists (which are there and done well!) or the suspense (definitely there!). 

Everything in this novel “just works” extremely well. Within and without its genre, it stands tall and proud among its bookish siblings. 

Five stars out of five.



»There was one story after the traffic report that caught his attention. An octopus on display at a city aquarium in San Pedro had apparently killed itself by pulling a water circulation tube out of its tank fitting with one of its tentacles. The tank emptied and the octopus died. Environmental groups were calling it suicide, a desperate protest by the octopus against its captivity. Only in L.A., Bosch thought as he turned the radio off. A place so desperate even the marine life was killing itself.«




Existentialism Is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre

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challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced
(Please note that Sartre consistently speaks of "man". Ironically, Simone de Beauvoir's partner of 51 years is unable or unwilling to include women in his language at least. Nevertheless, the essence of his will includes any gender.)


»Man is nothing other than his own project. He exists only to the extent that he realizes himself, therefore he is nothing more than the sum of his actions, nothing more than his life.”«


“Existentialism Is a Humanism” is originally a lecture by Sartre, first delivered in 1945, aimed to clarify misunderstandings about existentialism. He adeptly defends the philosophy against critiques of it promoting despair, amorality, and nihilism. The book is built on the existentialist premise that "existence precedes essence".

Or, in Sartre’s own words:

»We mean that man first exists: he materializes in the world, encounters himself, and only afterward defines himself. If man as existentialists conceive of him cannot be defined, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes of himself. Thus, there is no human nature since there is no God to conceive of it. Man is not only that which he conceives himself to be, but that which he wills himself to be, and since he conceives of himself only after he exists, just as he wills himself to be after being thrown into existence, man is nothing other than what he makes of himself. This is the first principle of existentialism.«


I’ve long wanted to read about existentialism since what little grasp of it I had (and still only have) appealed to me and interested me. (For those who are in the same position as I found myself, in a nutshell: Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasises individual freedom, choice, and existence, asserting that individuals are responsible for giving meaning to their lives through their actions and decisions. It contends that people must navigate the absurdities of life without reliance on predetermined norms, thereby creating their own values and defining their own essence. Thus: existence precedes essence)


What makes this work particularly interesting is how Sartre uncomplicates (in very non-uncomplicated words and ideas, though) the existentialist stance that individuals are entirely responsible for their own actions. This notion initially appears daunting – suggesting isolation in our freedom and decisions. Yet, as Sartre explains, it is incredibly empowering. It posits that we are the architects of our own values and the authors of our lives. His assertion that “man is condemned to be free” resonated deeply with me, underscoring the weight of personal responsibility that accompanies our freedom.

»man is free and there is no human nature in which I can place my trust.«

And, yet, that freedom is not without reason: Sartre illustrates how our personal choices ripple across humanity, arguing that in choosing for ourselves, we also choose for all mankind. 


»What is more, to say that we invent values means neither more nor less than this: life has no meaning a priori. Life itself is nothing until it is lived, it is we who give it meaning, and value is nothing more than the meaning that we give it. You can see, then, that it is possible to create a human community.«


"Existentialism Is a Humanism" also delves into the subject of despair, which Sartre describes as the acknowledgment that we rely only on ourselves and our will for action. This was an eye-opener to the liberating potential within existentialism, as it encourages one to act without hope – encouraging a direct confrontation with reality.

»“No hope is necessary to undertake anything.”«

The eloquence and intellectual clarity of Sartre's prose are undeniable. I, with little understanding of existentialism, found this book taxing to read. It’s well-written, presents great ideas and dispels misunderstandings and accusations, and is thought-provoking. It does feel like a lecture, though, and it’s not something one would read for pleasure.

I think I will move on to Sartre’s “Nausea” and, sooner or later, to his “Being and Nothingness”.

I don’t feel “qualified” to star-rate this book but would recommend reading it to anyone with an open mind.


»Existentialism is not so much an atheism in the sense that it would exhaust itself attempting to demonstrate the nonexistence of God; rather, it affirms that even if God were to exist, it would make no difference—that is our point of view. It is not that we believe that God exists, but we think that the real problem is not one of his existence; what man needs is to rediscover himself and to comprehend that nothing can save him from himself, not even valid proof of the existence of God. In this sense, existentialism is optimistic. It is a doctrine of action, and it is only in bad faith—in confusing their own despair with ours—that Christians are able to assert that we are “without hope.”«



Lovers at the Museum: A Short Story by Isabel Allende

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Isabel Allende - I’ve been in love with her work since I first encountered her “House of Spirits” decades ago. I still feel its echoes in my soul.

At a mere 5414 words, this is the shortest story of hers I’ve read but it is quintessential Allende: Charming, magical, life-affirming, and just plain fun!

Go on and read it - if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you get it for free. Everyone else gets it for a fair EUR 1,99.

Five stars out of five.




Xerox by Fien Veldman

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

Die Protagonistin dieses Romans hat einen “Bullshit-Job”, lese ich im Klappentext und so mancher Rezension. Welcher Job das genau ist, bleibt allerdings unklar, denn die Protagonistin, die gleichzeitig Erzählerin ihrer eigenen Geschichte ist, bleibt vage, weitgehend desinteressiert und ihre Glaubwürdigkeit überaus fragwürdig.

Obschon sie mit Ende 20 nicht mehr ganz jung ist, ist ihre wichtigste und intimste Beziehung diejenige zu “ihrem” Drucker in ihrem Büro. Mit ihm spricht sie permanent und so ausdauernd, dass es selbst ihren Kolleg_innen im Büro auffällt. Sie schmiegt sich auch gern mal an ihn, putzt und streichelt ihn… 

»Ich setze mich neben meinen Drucker. Das Gerät steht auf dem Tisch, an dem ich arbeite. Es ist ein typischer Büroapparat, eine sperrige und würfelförmige Maschine. Ich schmiege meine Wange an seine rechte Seite. Glatter, beruhigender Kunststoff. Er steht auf Stand-by. Meine Energie wird von dem Gerät absorbiert, die elektrischen Signale meines Nervensystems werden von ihm verstanden.«

Und, na klar, dieser Wunder-Drucker, der übrigens Hobby-Philosoph ist (“rhythmische Arbeit [ist] hochgradig spirituell”), versteht sie auch noch und nennt sie seine “Partnerin” - denn der Drucker kommt im dritten von vier Kapiteln allen Ernstes zu Wort… Dabei stellt sich dann auch noch heraus, dass dieser Drucker auch noch allwissend und allgegenwärtig ist:

»Ich spüre, wenn ein Tiefdruckgebiet im Anzug ist, ich erkenne Musik und Schallwellen, ich weiß, wann ein Mensch glücklich ist und wann nicht.«

Als wäre *dieser* Bullshit nicht schon übel genug, so versucht die Protagonistin, ihren Kolleg_innen nach Möglichkeit auszuweichen, sie zu ignorieren. Während die Protagonistin ordentlich behandelt und mit Namen angesprochen wird, nennt sie ihre Mitarbeitenden nach deren jeweiligen Rollen im Unternehmen - Marketing, PR, HR, etc.

Wann immer jemand auch nur mit ihr sprechen möchte, fasst sie das als Affront und Kampfansage auf…

»Soll das ein Test sein? Ist das seine Rache dafür, dass ich die Zustellung des Pakets nicht gut überwacht habe? Es muss Rache sein. Der Kampf hat begonnen.«

… und das liegt nicht am vermeintlichen “Bullshit-Job”, sondern - so meine Interpretation - an ihrer psychischen Gesundheit. Denn unsere Protagonistin *will* auch gar nicht anders - sie möchte “nur sein”. 

»Ich sehe mich nirgends in zehn Jahren, ich habe keine Zukunftsträume, ich habe kein Ziel außer der Wiedervereinigung mit meinem Gerät. Ich möchte mich nicht verbessern. Ich möchte nur sein.«

Die bloße Existenz, so meint sie, müsse doch wohl reichen. Mit der realen Welt konfrontiert, nimmt sie üblicherweise schlicht reißaus - sei es, nach ihrer Freistellung, vor dem “blauen Zettel” an ihrer Tür (dessen Inhalt auch nie aufgeklärt wird) oder auch das Büro einer Zeitarbeitsfirma.

Durch Auslassung verschweigt uns die Protagonistin zudem soviel, dass ich ihr kein Wort glaube und den Wert ihrer Erzählung, ja, den Wert dieses merkwürdigen Debüts in Frage stelle - alles bleibt vage, offen, undefiniert und Veldman, die Autorin, ergeht sich in banaler Schein-Kritik, zu deren Substantiierung sie nicht in der Lage scheint.

Dafür wimmelt es geradezu von kruden Theorien… 

»Auch wenn der Baum zu Stücken, Schnipseln, Zellstoff reduziert wird, steckt irgendwo noch der Geist des Baumes im einzelnen Blatt Papier.«

… und daher-fabulierten Selbst-Diagnosen…

»Ich bin übrigens die einzige Mitarbeiterin, die freigestellt wurde, dabei bin ich nicht die einzige mit Burn-out.«

Grotesk, dümmlich, prätentiös und aufgeblasen wie Luftballon - so ist dieser Roman, den ich nunmehr genussvoll durch Löschung zum Platzen bringe.

Ein Stern von fünf.




Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

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adventurous lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Oh, wow. This was… bad, really bad. I expected this to be fantasy while in fact this is a young-adult novel that feels like it was written by a teenager.

Kissen (I’m sorry but as a German, I’m having a hard time with this name…), our queer, one-legged hero, goes on an adventure with a former knight, childhood friend of the king, a spoilt brat, Inara, from a noble house - a house that was literally burned down, including Inara’s beloved servants, and mother. Inara also has a pest problem, manifesting as a god (of white lies).

Among that lies naive romance, attempted-coming-of-age, fantasy-lite and a looooong journey that drags and drags and… You get the gist. 

The writing is also mediocre at best and, even worse, errors abound: »Kissen wasn’t going to let him stupid that easily.«


Thankfully, that was the most aggravating mistake but, still, a disgrace.

I’m abandoning this at 70% to later slumber on my Kissen.

One star out of five.




The Seven Brides-to-Be of Generalissimo Vlad by Victoria Goddard

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a very easy read: Science Fiction just done, not lengthily discussed or even dissected but a fun ride of merely 10.000 words.

Elegant prose, witty dry humour and a fragment of a story that I would have been interested in reading a full-length novel about.

Five stars out of five.




Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

There’s really not much to say about this beyond the fitting blurb. It’s a nice little story of little consequence and length. If you like the author’s other works, you will neither regret reading this one nor missing out on it. 

Three stars out of five.




You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

After two extremely bad novels, I needed a winner to overcome a severe reading slump - and this one served very well. Amusingly, the one genre I never used to read - romance - led me straight back to reading.

Noelle, going on 30, has lost her beloved grandmother Kathleen, her job and her flat; the latter, adding insult to injury, leading to her moving back into her childhood bedroom at her parents’… 

At that point, still deeply grieving, Noelle finds out that Kathleen had a great love before her eventual husband. Her curiosity piqued and in continuation of an old secret-trading game Noelle and granny played, she finds Paul, her grandmother’s old lover, and his grandson - her college “nemesis” Theo.

Theo has become a hotshot entrepreneur, a Forbes' 30 Under 30 - you get the gist. There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark, though… Together, our three protagonists go on a roadtrip to the core of their respective relationships.

This is the basic story and, of course, Noelle and Theo fall for each other in a enemies/rivals-to-lovers situation. What made me basically plough through this novel over the course of two days was the sensitivity with which all three protagonists are portrayed: Scarce are the “cheap shots” and yet “You” exudes an atmosphere of kind, sensible and sensitive lightness without being without substance.

The banter between Noelle and Theo is entertaining and funny and their more serious interactions feel heartfelt and honest. Throughout the entire novel, the story and its protagonists never leave the realm of plausibility.

Both Theo and Noelle have serious issues in their lives but Noelle slowly opens up to Theo and their mutual trust grows while they get to know each other again. There’s attraction early on but no “instant love” but personal growth in vibrantly and lively depicted environments.

There’s also no third-act breakup: Yes, there’s a conflict but it arises completely naturally and believably. It’s also dealt with by the author in a very sensible and sensitive manner - I could very much relate to Theo’s unfortunate behaviour and in the 25th year of our marriage (haha, C.!) I’m very happy to have found a person who acted (and still sometimes has to act) just like Noelle does at a certain point.

Paul is also a well-used asset and I really think the overarching backstory of his relationship with Kathleen really added to the mix. I really, really liked the epilogue as well. A brilliant and very fitting idea that I’ve actually never read before.

Even among its countless siblings in the romance genre, “You” stands strong and tall.

The missing fifth star is due to some choices of the author I don’t fully approve of but which only marginally diminished my enthusiastic reading of a very nice, charming, and refreshing romance novel.

Thus, very easy, very deserved four stars out of five.