Luke Ferless is a compelling narrator to begin with. He attempts a kind of honesty, addressing the reader as if we were his analyst, trying to uncover his reasons and motivations as he addresses his actions in the present in terms of his past. Luke’s rich vocabulary and detailed self-analysis, add to his charm, but despite it all, there seems to be an underlying self-doubt and unconscious misogyny that undermines his justification.
Category: Book Reviews
Book Reviews
A review of All Those Bright Crosses by Ross Duncan
All Those Bright Crosses is a beautifully written debut — a tightly plotted, fast paced mystery that is driven forward by a deep and penetrating character study. The writing throughout is beautiful, spare and transcendent.
A review of The Life & Games of Akiva Rubinstein by John Donaldson and Nikolay Minev
Reviewed by Paul Kane John Donaldson and Nikolay Minev The Life & Games of Akiva Rubinstein, Volume 1: Uncrowned King by John Donaldson and Nikolay Minev Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged Russell Enterprises May 2007, ISBN-13: 978-1888690293, 402 pages The…
A review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling
I think that the Harry Potter series is already outstanding, but Deathly Hallows will make a deep impression in the world of books, with its stunning prose and surprising ending.
A review of Secrets of Opening Surprises, Volume 6 by Jeroen Bosch (editor)
Secrets of Opening Surprises, Volume 6 is, without a doubt, an excellent resource for replenishing and renewing your opening repertoire. If you succumb to temptation, the opening ideas contained in this book will set intriguing and testing challenges for your opponent – and for yourself too! As well as offering a little illicit excitement along the way …
A review of The Best Australian Stories 2006
Good short fiction works a quite a different dimension to novels – it needs a fast denouement, and the language has to be sharper, cleaner, more exacting because of the limited space. All of this stories in this collection are complete – leaving the reader with some kind of denoument. Drewe has chosen well, and the book contains a good range of material, from the modern to the traditional, funny, serious, intense, lighthearted – funky or political.
A review of Knight on the Left: 1.Nc3 by Harald Keilhack
This is very much a superior opening book. It is intellectually stimulating, a rare virtue, and it presents a thorough survey of 1.Nc3, demonstrating that it gives realistic prospects of a White advantage. A comprehensive list of research materials used by the author – including books, periodicals, databases and internet sources (web pages and newsgroups) – rounds off the book nicely.
A review of The Collins Australian Dictionary 9th Edition
The latest Collins Australian Dictionary is a beauty and has everything you want in a dictionary. It’s both ultra-modern and classic; big in scope and size, but still fits on the bookshelf; attractive but not the slightest bit obsequious; serious but with its nod to lingo and mediaspeak, still fun. If you don’t already have a major dictionary reference tool, this is an exceptional one, and though not cheap, an excellent investment.
A review of Red Hot Internet Publicity by Penny Sansevieri
When it comes to the virtual book tour, Red Hot Internet Publicity really shines. Sansevieri has been running virtual book tours for authors for a few years now, and although her services aren’t inexpensive (she’s got plenty of inside knowledge which makes the tours effective), this book is.
A review of Merle’s Door by Ted Kerasote
In the small Wyoming town where much of this story takes place, there were no great concerns about dogs and they roamed free, able to associate with each other and with the people of the town. This worked in a community in which automobile traffic was slight and everyone knew everyone else although Kerasote describes a similar and much larger community in the French Alps where much the same canine freedom obtained.