Ted Smith

Biography at Its Best

Revisado: 01-18-25

Superb book. Jones is brilliant writer of popular history and this may be his best book. Jones is also a great narrator.

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Magnificent

Revisado: 08-13-24

Best biography of the greatest man of the 20th century. Moving, beautifully written, and inspiring.

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Superb Historical Mystery

Revisado: 06-17-24

A mystery, but much much more. Filled with brilliant historical detail. Compellingly written. Beautiful writing.

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I Really Wanted to Love It

Revisado: 05-08-23

I wanted to love this book, and I did until the big reveal about two-thirds of the way through. After that, it became a hot mess. Positives: Cronin can write, can set a scene, and can create a propulsive plot. Negatives: Once the big reveal came, I could not believe in the story because little, at that point, was real or had consequences. Finally, I have no idea where the Epilogue came from—if someone can explain how its links to a prior narrative thread in the novel, I would love to hear it. Bottom line: The first 70% of the book is compelling, but after that there is no satisfying pay-off.

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A Mixed Bag

Revisado: 05-01-23

First the positives. Eleanor Catton is an amazingly talented writer; she deserved the Man Booker prize for The Luminaries, and her talent is evident in Birnam Wood. The writing is uniformly good, and the story is propulsive. I really liked the shifts of focus from protagonist to protagonist. She was a real touch for portraying nature scenes.

The negatives: The ending was deeply disappointing (if a writer is going to write a thriller, there must be a clear resolution at the end--the last page of a thriller is not the place to shift to literary ambiguity). The characterization of the bad guy lacked any nuance from beginning to end. I get it that the author doesn't like rich people, but they come in all shapes and sizes, many of them with deep moral principles. Finally, while the young progressives had more layers to them, they were a disappointing group. If the author believes in a progressive future for NZ and the world, that group isn't going to get it done.

That said, the scene in the restaurant (the verbal sparring between Amber and Tony) brilliantly skewers the emptiness of most modern woke thought. Other than "we hate rich people" and we despise ourselves because of our privilege narratives, woke thought's moral foundation is firmly drifting in the ether.

The book is worth reading, primarily because of Catton's raw talent. As a political and cultural screed, the novel fails.

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Best Orphan X

Revisado: 02-06-18

The first Orphan X was excellent. The second, Nowhere Man, was good but not quite as good as the original. Hellbent takes the series to a new level. The action was excellent, but the development of Evan's character even better, especially as Joey forced him to confront the oddities of his life. And Joey was a superb character. I can only hope we'll see her again. Her combination of toughness and vulnerability hit the mark for me. And is Candy coming over to the side of the good guys?

Brick's narration is, as always, very good. My only criticism is that he can be a bit too over-dramatic at times, especially in the reflective moments. Dial it back just a bit, Scott, and you'll be perfect.

Can't wait for the next installment.

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Cardboard Characters and Mediocre Writing

Revisado: 04-08-16

Once again I was misled by other reviewers. The setting is iconic. But the story is flat. Neither of the female leads was convincing. We have little idea of their motivations. Angst is not the same as reflection. Hannah tells but rarely shows. The writing attempts to soar, but rarely gets off the ground.

Where was the editor? At one point, a character mentions that the Renault plant near Paris manufactured "lorries." So we have an American writer and French scene: but we need to use the English term for a truck. Hannah continually refers to Nazi soldiers. By the time of WWII, these were German soldiers--yes, there is a difference. She refers at one point to a captured pilot as a "soldier": she obviously doesn't know anyone in the Air Force.

Why does Isabel fall in love with Gaetan? Not a clue. He's merely a name--certainly not a fleshed-out character. And we're expected to believe that her sister falls into the arms of a German officer a few hours after seeing her friend's daughter murdered by Germans and witnessing the officer driving Jewish women onto a train with a whip. She's a weak character, but is anyone really that weak?

The narrator renders all children as three-year-olds. And when something bad happens, she goes into full Ophelia mode.

A love story with little love (just the pretense). And a suspense novel without suspense.

I have to admit I didn't actually finish the novel. I made it 2/3 through and just gave in to my utter ambivalence.

Hope everything worked out for the characters.

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Mediocre Story With Odd Structure

Revisado: 07-05-15

What did you like best about Code Name Verity? What did you like least?

The manner in which this story is told (a written confession to Nazi captors by one character; a diary by the other) is cumbersome and utterly unconvincing. A novelist's first job is the provide a mechanism for the reader to suspend disbelief. Wein did not succeed. Far too cute. Just tell the story.

What could Elizabeth Wein have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Get rid of the odd first person narratives. And then get rid of the chirpy tone. The subject is serious, the tone, especially of the second part, is borderline frivolous.

What does Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good narrators, especially the Julie character, but they can't overcome the fundamental flaws of the story.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

I must say I'm baffled by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. There was a good story here, but the structure and tone of the story was unconvincing and at times downright silly. Certainly not the worst book I've listened too, but I found it difficult to soldier on to the end.

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Disappointing Story; Bad Narrator

Revisado: 09-19-14

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend nearly anything by Stephenson, but not this one. The first third was quite interesting, but the last two-thirds was mostly opaque, boring, and forced. The action scenes are quite good, but are interrupted by long philosophical or technological disquisitions. Stephenson worked hard on this book, but it just doesn't work at the level of either character or plot.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting: futuristic look at monastic life in a secular context. Least interesting: faux philosophical conversations that go on and on and on . . . .

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Dufris doesn't do emotion well. Hams it up instead of subtly portraying sadness, sorrow, or excitement. Other than the main voice, his other voices sound like caricatures. He nearly ruined Scalzi's Old Man's War series. There are far better narrators out there.

Do you think Anathem needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. Please spare us.

Any additional comments?

Read and listen to Stephenson, but not this one.

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Disappointing Story; Bad Narrator

Revisado: 09-19-14

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend nearly anything by Stephenson, but not this one. The first third was quite interesting, but the last two-thirds was mostly opaque, boring, and forced. The action scenes are quite good, but are interrupted by long philosophical or technological disquisitions. Stephenson worked hard on this book, but it just doesn't work at the level of either character or plot.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting: futuristic look at monastic life in a secular context. Least interesting: faux philosophical conversations that go on and on and on . . . .

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Dufris doesn't do emotion well. Hams it up instead of subtly portraying sadness, sorrow, or excitement. Other than the main voice, his other voices sound like caricatures. He nearly ruined Scalzi's Old Man's War series. There are far better narrators out there.

Do you think Anathem needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. Please spare us.

Any additional comments?

Read and listen to Stephenson, but not this one.

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