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Some more Holiday Reading
Sep. 4th, 2008 01:27 pmBack on the treadmill, and enjoying it for the most part, but very, very busy.
Still time for some quick lunchtime updates though…
Hit Parade, by Lawrence Block – one of his “Hitman” novels about Keller, like the last two this reads as a fix-up from short stories. It might be that, or it might be Keller’s detatched, low-key persona, but the books are curiously affectles. I enjoyed the craftsmanship, but don’t love them.
Downhill Lie, by Karl Hiassen – a short recounting of his return to playing golf in middle age. I was expecting more laughs, but the same honesty that stops him improving his lie stops him lying about his improvement. So it’s a little downbeat, a bit pessimistic, but quietly moving, too (well, if you’re a 24 handicapper pushing 45 yourself).
Snowball in Hell, Christopher Brookmyre – a quick, funny read, with one twist that I didn’t see coming and two protagonists who’re expert at everything in their lives except love.
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge), by John O’Farrell – I really wanted to like this: O’Farrell is a funny writer, and he shares most of my prejudices, but I wasn’t able to read more than a dozen pages at a time. Partly I was disappointed that it isn’t a history of Britain, it’s a history of England. O’Farrell admits this up front, but that doesn’t stop him using the title. He also fails the “deep fried Mars Bar” test when he does write about Scotland. He’s quite good on Cromwell in Ireland, though: “Anyone tempted to see something alien to the English character in the Nazi or Maoist atrocities should read about Cromwell.”
Still time for some quick lunchtime updates though…
Hit Parade, by Lawrence Block – one of his “Hitman” novels about Keller, like the last two this reads as a fix-up from short stories. It might be that, or it might be Keller’s detatched, low-key persona, but the books are curiously affectles. I enjoyed the craftsmanship, but don’t love them.
Downhill Lie, by Karl Hiassen – a short recounting of his return to playing golf in middle age. I was expecting more laughs, but the same honesty that stops him improving his lie stops him lying about his improvement. So it’s a little downbeat, a bit pessimistic, but quietly moving, too (well, if you’re a 24 handicapper pushing 45 yourself).
Snowball in Hell, Christopher Brookmyre – a quick, funny read, with one twist that I didn’t see coming and two protagonists who’re expert at everything in their lives except love.
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge), by John O’Farrell – I really wanted to like this: O’Farrell is a funny writer, and he shares most of my prejudices, but I wasn’t able to read more than a dozen pages at a time. Partly I was disappointed that it isn’t a history of Britain, it’s a history of England. O’Farrell admits this up front, but that doesn’t stop him using the title. He also fails the “deep fried Mars Bar” test when he does write about Scotland. He’s quite good on Cromwell in Ireland, though: “Anyone tempted to see something alien to the English character in the Nazi or Maoist atrocities should read about Cromwell.”
