Book review entries

Top Ranter

An insightful book into the huge problems in american society today – I'm glad I don't live there. You don't believe the amount of government ploys and corporate crime inside. Michael Moore obviously can be quite one sided. Luckily I just laughed it off, instead of being quite annoyed and angry like I was after watching Fahrenheit 911. Nothing can hide the facts of the way the poor live. The best bit was describing new tax cuts to "Steal from the middle-class and give to the super-rich." But it does make an OK read. It starts off boring and ends boringly, but there are many funny bits inbetween.

You either love him or hate him. I just like to laugh with and at him. Especially Dear George chapter. He doesn't like Bush or Gore (this book dates back a bit) - in fact he doesn't like much, but its his job, and you need someone to be opposing every politician. But some things (e.g. war) just don't make sense - so he's a Greener. You get the impression, that if he lived in the UK, he'd be voting Monster Raving Looney Party.

: 04 Aug 2005 15:53 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Mechanic's Tale: Life in F1

Yep exactly what it says on the cover.
Biographical, Steve Machett tells about his Benneton career. How he got in to Formula 1, how he lived F1, won a championship and how he got bored of F1.

I thought it was nice to read how other people apply for jobs, how they make a living. His style of getting a job was jamming his foot in the door of the Technical Directors. He offered insight to what happens in the pits. A little on old Benneton drivers. Working with Michael Schumacher. The art of being a mechanic. And yeah that's about it. Interesting if you're into that kind of stuff. I picked it up for £1.75 so it was good value for me.

: 25 Jul 2005 19:57 |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Charlotte Gray

I have FINALLY finished this book, after starting it in Easter and putting it down for 3 month break during the summer term. Because of that, I have forgotten, most of what happened in the first half of the novel, so unlike the usual style of Corinna or Guilio, this will be a short review!

Set in WWII, a very determined Scottish woman sets off to the risky country of France to run administration errands for the British Government. But she also has a personal task of finding her pilot lover, who went missing in action.

Faulks manages to create the atmosheres of what it was like to be in London during the war, small towns, farms, concentration camps in occupied France. He writes with an incredible attention to detail – not in sterile accuracy way, but of personal touches of the characters. The way the characters think, the random (human natured) thoughts of the conscious and sub-conscious parts of the mind.

I didn't like the names used, always got me confused, Lauvarette, Laval, Leval,
The book goes in quite steadily pace, but the end seems to go a bit too quickly like a movie would. There are many times during the novel where something shocks you. You don't think in 500 pages you could cover emotions of love, friendship, friendship-love, hate, murder, parental problems, political and racial problems and all types of sickening war crimes.
Remember, despite the slow paced start, it is easy to forget that it is still a war novel. A good love-war story.

: 16 Jul 2005 12:57 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem