A short book written in plain language, communicating a lot of interesting ideas without being too difficult to get through. I learned a lot about Buddhism.
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Michael reviewed Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse by Herman Hesse
Michael reviewed Dictator by Robert Harris (Cicero)
Michael reviewed The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by NONE
Michael reviewed Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
Michael reviewed Great Fire of London by Samuel Pepys
Review of 'Great Fire of London' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
A well-chosen extract, with a deeply personal insight into life in 17th-century London, and a gripping real-time account of a dramatic disaster. Quite a lot of extra stuff I don't care about (I don't know who all these people are) but it's amazing to think this was a person's actual diary, written day by day.
Michael reviewed Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Review of 'Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Had me laughing out loud from the first page. Lighter than the Blandings novels, and it being written in the first person is different. I've never read a book narrated by an idiot before - very funny, but I could see it getting tiring if I read more of the series.
Michael reviewed The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials, #2)
Review of 'The Subtle Knife' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Entirely different from the first book in tone and scope, but continuing the excellent story and delivering everything that was promised and more. Suffers a little from second-in-the-trilogy syndrome, meandering and not quite satisfying on its own.
Again I listened to the excellent audiobook version, by the author and a full cast.
Michael reviewed Northern Lights (His Dark Materials (1))
Review of 'Northern Lights' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A plot-driven adventure, told from the point of view of a single character - but told in such style and in such a vivid universe that it kept me interested all the way through. Furthermore, the greater meaning of the adventure is kept hidden from the main character and from the reader, except for a few tantalising glimpses of things to come.
I listened to the audiobook version - an exceptional reading by a full cast, which brings the story to life even more.
Michael reviewed Lustrum by Robert Harris
Review of 'Lustrum' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Fascinating historical novel about the dying days of the Roman Republic. Just as good as Imperium (#1), but more exciting - things are really getting serious. It's thrilling, addictive and readable, and by the end we were so hooked we had to start Dictator straight away.
Review of 'HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (PARTS ONE AND TWO) (Chinese Edition) by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
My family did a dramatic reading on holiday, and it definitely brought the play to life. After nine years it's great to get back into the Harry Potter world. I'm guessing J.K. Rowling didn't have much to do with this project - with cheesy cameos and sentimental one-liners it reads more like fan-fiction than anything else - but it's good in its own right. Think of it as a new story written by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, not the eighth Harry Potter book.
Michael reviewed Summer lightning by P. G. Wodehouse
Review of 'Summer lightning' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Very funny. The story's pretty basic, but the writing style is so perfect that I ended up laughing out loud in public like an idiot. Easy reading.
Michael reviewed The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Review of 'The Old Man and the Sea' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Written in very simple English, it's easy to understand and doesn't hide behind flowery language. The story and mood are powerful, and really make you identify with the old man. Above all, it's short.