Lorrie

I wish I cared more ...

Revisado: 07-16-17

When I see any kind of plague, end of the world, type book I can't resist it ... I'm always fascinated by humanity at its most over-taxed. No more family or old friends to share memories, a day-to-day existence with no resemblance to what has been left behind, lack of food and the basic necessities -- so, for me, in a nutshell, it's the people who are left behind, inhabiting this unexpected and unwanted existence who are my conduit to this brave new world.
Alas, The Fireman just doesn't get there for me. Harper is adequate as a central focus, but she is lightweight, someone who things happen to but no ball of fire (excuse the expression) in getting things going herself. But it's The Fireman himself that really bothers me. Who cares about this guy! We're supposed to believe that he is, somehow, the face of the new existence -- Joe Hill even named the book after him. But I just don't get it. To me he's at best a rather underdeveloped secondary personality, one you don't really care about and who you'd be happy to leave behind after a few pages. A better title, if it described him, would be The Wannabe Fireman. This guy is all the way through the book, both in spirit and body, and at the end it's -- okay (?), can we go on now? But that's the end of the book!
On a positive note, the story itself was really well crafted and held together very well -- the basic premise of a plague defined by bursting into flames is unique and really, really scary, so no complaints about that.
I have read all of Hill's books and for the most part I really like his characters -- both fiery Vic in NOS4A2 and world-weary Jude in Heart Shaped Box were fabulous protagonists -- but this one, as epitomized by Harper, really lacks depth of character. Sorry, Joe ... this one just didn't float my boat.

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Embarassing stereotypes, but still a good story

Revisado: 07-29-16

It may seem strange that I give this novel such a mixed bag of stars, but bear with me, this is how I break them down.

Overall, I give it three stars -- it is adequate in its presentation, but it falls into so many traps that it becomes embarrassing thinking about how good the story would be if all those traps were to fall away.

First and most egregious -- all the men are handsome studs and all the women are either sluts who are panting -- literally panting! -- to get to the men's zippers, or are airhead brainiacs, nobly battling their own defective personalities but aiming at those zippers in spite of themselves. Only two women -- Aurora and Sutton -- are allowed to have any class whatsoever. If a woman don't exist for the gratification of her hitherto undiscovered sexual desires, she doesn't exist at all. Oh, and by the way, the sex scenes are gratuitous and boring.

Second cliché is the plethora of name dropping -- a glass isn't a glass, it's a Waterford glass; a painting isn't a painting, it's a museum-quality painting; a car isn't a car, it's a Porsche or a Jag or a Rolls (only the poor people drive such mundane vehicles as Toyota trucks -- which doesn't work well); a woman isn't wearing a dress, she's wearing Dior or Versace or whatever; and God forbid that any cigar not be a Cuban or any perfume not be Chanel No. 5. It's boring and it's unnecessary -- we get it! They're rich. Now put the adjectives in the round filing cabinet, and get on with the story!

Third cliché -- everyone kowtows to the rich. Servants act in a way that is a throwback to the 19th century, pre-Downton Abbey, without any desires whatsoever but to serve their masters. (Bull shit!!!) All the women servants (except Aurora) seem to be slavishly devoted to their masters -- the only one I have any respect for at all is the one who kills herself after she is forced to act in a way contrary to her better self. At least she gets out of the story with a little self respect!

So onto the one star for Performance. Considering the multitude of personalities the narrator has to deal with, he does get one star -- but what is it with this deep southern drawl in Kentucky? I've been to Kentucky, and it's a pleasant lilting drawl, not this deep, deep south drawl. What he's doing sounds more like Alabama or Louisiana.

Second, and for me the worst, problem with the narrator -- every single woman sounds either like a 12-year-old teenager exclaiming over her favourite boy band, or a bad imitation of Scarlett O'Hara, or a cracker right out of the barrel. Simply terrible!!!

But for the story, four stars. Putting aside the clichés, and fast forwarding through the sex scenes, and ignoring the narrator's insult to all women everywhere, this is a pretty good read. The characters are essentially well rounded, if not well embodied by the narrator, and all in all it's a good, tight thriller. There's enough family drama and financial shenanigans and whodunnits to make it a page turner.

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Good story. Great main character!

Revisado: 07-13-16

This (so far) two-part series has really grabbed me, and I definitely want to hear more. I'm with the previous reviewer, however, who says he wants it quality, not quantity, so take your time, Mr. Tomlinson, and maintain the excellent rhythm you've got going ... we can wait!
I especially like the protagonist Benson, a sort-of everyman of the future, bemusedly trying to take in all that goes on around him and dealing with it with his unique flair. And in the latest book, I very much like Kexx, the first-person character of the Atlantans (wish they had a less cumbersome-sounding moniker).
My only quibble is the literary conceit of Kexx using the "zzz" sound for the most common words of "their" and "he" and "those" -- it might look okay on the page, but it interrupts this otherwise excellent narrator's flow, making him sound stilted and strangled when describing an event or depicting Kexx's perceptions of that event.
Otherwise, though, I'm impressed ... keep up the good work!

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A good read --- but could have used a good editor!

Revisado: 04-20-16

I love Jodi Taylor's writing. Her characters are funny and charming and thoughtful and deep, and I am never bored (which cannot be said for a lot of my other favourite authors!). The Nothing Girl really nails the first person perspective of someone who is far more interesting and has far more to offer to the world than she herself could possibly imagine. With the wonderful invention of Thomas the Palomino, we find a woman who, in talking with a horse who gives her sage advice, is really talking with herself and taking her own sage advice. It's in all of us to be our own Thomas. Good job, Jodi!
My bone to pick, though, is the editing. More than once I had to listen over again to a passage where the pronouns were mixed up ... who are we talking about? As well, there could have been a lot of tightening up in character development and justification of actions --- the final dinner scene is a good example. All of a sudden someone we haven't even heard about since the first chapter, and who we have never met in the flesh, shows up, doesn't say a word, and then leaves? What's that all about? Who is this character, and why should we believe it when he turns out to be so vital to the story?
Mainly though I loved the story and loved the characters and look forward to reading more about buckets and burning barns and Marilyn the donkey.

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A Great Start!

Revisado: 03-25-16

I love St Mary's and all who live there ! Excellent work, Ms. Taylor ... with both writing and reading. History has never been so alive for me.

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The Best King of Travelogue!

Revisado: 10-20-15

I loved, loved, loved this audiobook! I've listened to dozens of these courses and none of them struck me as such a labour of love. Dr. Bucholz not only knows his subject, but understands it in a way only a devoted acolyte can. In his able presentation, London turns from a pile of bricks and mortar into a living, breathing entity, with a humanity which includes and yet outstrips its citizenry. In its two millennia (yes, it's that old!), it has endured and prospered in a spectacular way, but essentially, it's a long story about a place, its corners and backstreets as much as its institutions, where generation after generation have been born, lived their lives and died. We are, all of us, the richer for it's existence. Good Bless London! Long may she endure!

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Can we get rid of Dick Hill please!

Revisado: 09-22-15

I love Jack Reacher and have listened to every single one of his exploits over the years. I look forward to the release of a Reacher book the way I look forward to Christmas, and this year in particular I was in a "can't wait" frame of mind for a couple of months before it finally popped up in my library!

If I had to rate this novel against all of Lee Child's previous Reacher outings, I'd put this one in the top five ... it's absolutely terrific, with a neat, taut story, plenty of action pieces, lots of Reacher's trade-mark thought processes (my favourite parts!) and a female friend who, in the overall scheme of things, stands up pretty well in the Reacher universe.

But it has gotten to the point that I have to protest -- the narrative by Dick Hill has gotten almost unbearable to listen to. His sloooowwwww drawl has moved away from exaggeration right into the boring and monotonous. I actually listened to this entire novel at the x1.25 speed, which, for someone who loves to linger over a Reacher book, is not very satisfactory. Then I went out and borrowed the book from the library, and read it through with far more interest than Mr. Hill was able to engender in me!

Let's turf this guy, please ... I know he's done admirable work in the past, but he's beginning to ruin my listening experience on my favourite series.

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Ugly characters - just plain ugly

Revisado: 07-03-15

I have read all these books and for the most part have quite enjoyed them. But this one saw way too much bullying and caveman-like behaviour from the DOD men ... to the point that you have one of our "heroes" breaking another man's neck because there was something hinky about him and he didn't seem to agree with what Sarge and the boys determined was right-minded thinking. WTF!!! I really like most of the characters in these stories but Sarge and his "boys" are just plain repugnant. Literally, who died and made them God?

I say boys, because there are no real women in that little clique ... they're all silent, barefoot, in the kitchen, cooking up a meal for their heroes. I don't say pregnant because that would mean they had to talk to a woman in order to have sex with her. A couple of token "tough" women are only distinguishable as female by their names which are feminine. And how Freudian is this ... most of the "real" women have what could just as easily be men's names - Mel, Bobbie, Fred, Taylor.

Like I said, I like Morgan and his family and most of his friends very much - especially Thad - and I hope that Book 6 sees a lot more of them and a lot less of the power trip boys.

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My Favourite Celebrity

Revisado: 04-16-15

I have a long and intimate acquaintance with Candice Bergen ... she might not know it, but she and I have been in lock-step since she was 19 and I was 17. In a way I've always looked to her for a blueprint of how to be classy, tuned in and, most of all, funny. While talking about her Murphy Brown years, she is quite modest when talking about how the lines were written for her and she only read them, but in my mind she did more than that ... she inhabited them, brought them to life and made them so real that they touched me right where I live.

And now she gives the gift of this book ... I'm not going to say it's perfect. She is not a born narrator ... from interviews she's done, I think she's better in a dialogue than a monologue ... but she is never less than honest, intimate and funny. Thank you, Candy, and God bless you ... you're every intelligent, thoughtful, engaged woman's blueprint.

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Why do end-of-the-world survivors stay in tents?

Revisado: 09-27-14

There are millions and millions of empty houses, with roofs and walls, perhaps wood-burning fireplaces if you're lucky, beds to sleep in and probably sheets and blankets and towels and, and, and. Just remove all the dead bodies and Bob's your Uncle. But it never fails, books and the movies always show the few survivors squatting in miserable tents or thrown up shelters. Or in this case, gas stations and Walmarts.
And why do they always move about? Why don't they stay in one spot, plant a garden, take over a dairy cow or domesticated chickens whose owner has died? Why the wanderlust?
That's what I'd do. But I guess I would be a poor protagonist so no books would ever be written about me.
This book did keep me listening to the end, but there were a lot of false leads and half-developed characters. I wish there had been fewer foci, and that the characters had more depth. I'm just getting interested in Jeavon when we move on to Kiki, and then Arthur gets a turn, then Miranda. Pick a protagonist and stick to it!

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