whippycleric's reviews
262 reviews

The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies Volume 1 by Roger E. Bissell, Robert L Campbell, Gregory R. Johnson, Stephen Cox, Larry J. Sechrest, Chris Matthew Sciabarra

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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Odyssey by Stephen Fry

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I’ve read Mythos before but skipped the next 2 and went straight to Odyssey. As stated in the intro though there’s no problem with this (I surely want to read the others still though). Fry’s retelling of the Greek / Roman myths in modern language and structure is unparalleled.  Only a true wordsmith and true classical historian could create these books and they’re so well done I almost worry about reading translations of Homer knowing they will not feel as real as this. 

The first half of this I did struggle with though, it jumped around and felt more like a collection of short stories than a cohesive narrative, much in the same way as Mythos did, but still brilliantly written. However, the second half is a masterclass in storytelling. I also “read” this as an audiobook which I have found in the past is less immersive than text for myself which may account for my struggles in the first half. As with all of Fry’s works though the big benefit of the audio book is that it’s read by himself, and being read to be Stephen Fry is just glorious. Despite feeling I might find the original work disappointing now, I think I might appreciate it more knowing the story in advance and not worrying about complicated language of translations. 

A true genius of many disciplines I will undoubtedly read more by Fry in the future and will always search out his works in whatever form they come. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 I adored this book and really got invested in the lives of the characters. The 7 husbands all came through with distinct personalities along with Evelyn and Celia. Evelyn specifically is brilliantly written, sometimes the hero and sometimes the anti-hero one goes through the full spectrum of emotions reading her life’s story. The pacing is great and consistent throughout, at no point was I wanting to rush to the next section, every chapter was a joy to read. 

The twist which is hinted at throughout and revealed towards the end was unexpected, and knowing it was coming meant you couldn’t help but try to guess, and I never figured it out so that’s a plus. I’m divided though on its necessity, as a plot device to tie the present retelling to the events and to justify the book it does its job, but the one character I was never invested in was Monique for some reason, so it wasn’t a big part of the book for me. As a result, the last few chapters set in the present day were the worst part for me, but still enjoyable. I can’t help but feel I would have enjoyed it more as a straight up fictional biography, but I can see why that might not work. 

I’ll happily read more by the author in the future and I’m particularly pleased to find a contemporary author I enjoy so much after being on a classic literature binge for so long. 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

 Tolstoy is a brilliant writer, there’s no doubt about that. It’s so easy to read, despite its age, and the way he switches between thoughts of different characters and what they are saying within a given scene is seamless. This way of writing with multiple POV in a single scene is so commonly hard to follow it’s a genuine please to read it done so well you hardly notice it. If I were to review and rate this book purely based on the quality of the writing it would be all praise and a clear 5 stars, however I felt a bit let down by the book. 

The characters do feel very real which is great, however the female characters are much less well written than the men. Anna, despite being the titular character, is not the main one, that award goes to Levin. I have mixed feelings about Levin, switching between positive and negative, sometimes within the same chapter, which is by no means a bad thing. Obolonsky is great and I think more focus on him could have been an improvement. The problem I find with the female characters is that they are all very prone to hysteria and insecurity, even the strong character of Anna ultimately goes this way. The plot itself is quite slow, I think this book compressed to about half the length would be great, but at nearly 1000 pages just not enough really happens. It’s still an enjoyable read, but if you have to make a choice of a long Tolstoy to read I’d go for War and Peace. 

How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World's Greatest Formula 1 Designer by Adrian Newey

funny informative slow-paced

3.5

As a massive F1 fan and having enjoyed many autobiographies / biographies of drivers throughout the years I was interested to read this, Newey is arguably the most important engineer in the ground effect era and I knew very little about him going into this beyond his Red Bull career. I listened to this as an audio book, which is new for me as I commonly only go for physical books, and as a result I think I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I would have in print. For one point, the technical design topics commonly have diagrams, however obviously when listening you don’t have those making those parts a little harder to follow. 

The early sections of the book covering the pre F1 years were a pleasant read. Following a traditional structure of a Biography this section was well paced and easy to follow, as well as being interesting. Moving into the early F1 years it continues to be a good read, and the glimpses into his personal life are enjoyable if not somewhat sparse. The second half of the book begins to feel a little bit formulaic though, it begins to get a little boring. The anecdotes about the drivers and colleagues throughout are great, but just too few. I think what makes a biography or memoir interesting are the people, not only the focus of the piece but all the people around them and this is a bit lacking in this area. 

Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience by Shaun Usher

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

This was a stupendously eclectic mix of letters, not what I was expecting at all. There’s no theme for this collection beyond they doubtlessly each deserve to be read by a wide audience. Some are funny, others sad, many poignant, and others just beautifully written. I was expecting going into this to find a few gems and probably have to slog through a lot of less interesting content, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only were there far more gems than I expected I can’t really think of any that I didn’t find at least interesting. I won’t list all the ones which I found brilliant, but just a few highlights which also serve to illustrate the breadth of content. 

 

• Leonardo De Vinci on Building War Machines. 
• Virgina Woolf’s Suicide Letter. 
• 11 Year old girls Letter to Abraham Lincoln advising him to grow a beard. 
• Nasa scientist defending space exploration to a nun. 
• Kurt Vonnegut to a school administrator who had his books burned. 
• A response to a government request to remove unauthorized dams which were built by beavers. 
• Flannery o Conner’s reply to an English Teacher discussing their interpretation of her book. 

 

The Malaria Capers: Tales of Parasites and People by Robert S. Desowitz

informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

This was an interesting read and had a lot of unique insights into not only the 2 diseases covered but also the approaches taken in combating them. One can't help but be a bit depressed by the motives and results of some of these endeavours, but conversely be inspired by the ingenuity of some. 

The writing is that of a seasoned non fiction author and can't be readily faulted. On occasion I felt hindsight was helping a bit in the judgement but overall the critiques were justifiable. The short passages at the start of the two major sections linking the diseases with a specific case were great, and whilst they were referred to later on it was without the level of reference to really pull you in. A little more linking to these, or additional case studies would have been good. 

It's a good read, very interesting, but could do a little more to engage the reader who is not a student of the topic

Heliopolis by James Scudamore

dark emotional mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

I had no expectations going into this read, having just picked it up, almost at random, in a shop and liking the feel of it. It was a relaxing read, well written characters for the most part, and a smooth plot. The pacing was consistent throughout and, while not gripping, it kept my attention. The story explores how a child taken from the slums and brought into a rich family, but never being fully part of the family, adapts to life and his place in the world. Still trying to form links with the world he left behind while at the same time trying to embed himself in the world of the rich is interesting. How he works through these conflicting desires is what makes this such a good read. 
 
The downside comes from the often-inexplicable behaviour of some of the secondary characters. Ernesto is far more forgiving, and far too quick to forgive, than is believable, and the plot line with the boy who gets shot early on has too many coincidences to be believable. Very nicely written though, and enjoyable to read. Would happily read more by the author if I come across any. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I didn't really know what to expect for this book, having not had to read it at school and only seen the film trailer I thankfully avoided any spoilers! The prose is beautifully written, and the pacing is more or less perfect. It makes for a great novella which can be read in just a couple of sittings. The characters can leave a little to be desired though, Gatsby is an intriguing character, though can come across a little pathetic at times. The narrator, and to an extent Jordan, are the only vaguely normal / relatable people. Tom is abhorrent, and Daisy is quite a flat, unlikable character, for the role she is playing here. 

It was a nice read and the prose was great, the twists were actually surprising, and I feel bad so many people have spoilers before reading this, as if I had known the plot in advance I would have enjoyed this much less. I’m between 3.5 and 4 for this one, for now I’ll go with a 3.5 but it deserves a 2nd reading later and might move then. 

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I've wanted to read this for a long time and had no idea how long it was until I got the book. It's always a bit nerve racking to pick up such a long book knowing if it's not very good I’ll force myself to finish it, thankfully this was a great book.
 
I would say it could be easily enough split into 3 acts, and could have been a trilogy (probably would be published as such today given the costs).

I would class everything up until the first appearance of the Count of Monte Cristo as the first book, then the second book would be slightly harder to define but I guess up until the downfall of the first of the enemies, and finally the rest as the third book

. Given this division I would rate the first book as 5 stars, more if it were possible. The pacing of this section is superb, every character is layered and brilliant. I was so happy during this first section I genuinely thought I would be finishing this book in just a few days as I struggled to put it down. The second, and largest, section was slower. Whilst still enjoyable I’d probably opt for a 4 star rating for this section, the characters were still vivid, and the way the changing world unfolded was enticing, but it was just a little too slow for me. The final section was satisfying, surprising in places, and a just reward for the time invested. Not as strong as the start, but clearly better than the middle I’d have to go with a 4.5, and hence my overall 4.5 rating. 

This was my first Dumas and I’m looking forward to reading more of his famous works.