bugsmeany

Under-appreciated classic

Revisado: 04-13-25

I loved the story, the prose and the A+ narration.

I’ve spent years and years exploring classic English mystery novels and I’d never even heard of Braddon or this book until last week! I added it to my library right away and finished it in a few nights.

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Wanted to like this much more than I did

Revisado: 04-03-25

I wanted and expected to like this much more than I did. It was so promising at first! I loved the prose, and the structure reminded me of Anthony Horowitz's work. (I'm sure Horowitz didn't invent the style, but he's a favorite of mine.)

The author himself, Joël Dicker, is the narrator and protagonist, about to stumble upon his next novel. That book turns out to be the story-within-the-story, a mystery that Dicker tries to solve. (That's why the book is long; it's a two-for-one.)

I liked the sub-story at first, but less so as it went on and on. And on. There's only so long I can stay invested in the closed-doors succession drama at a private bank in Geneva. ("This must be set many many decades ago if a new bank president is headline news." Nope! It's present-day.)

Should have been much shorter, but I'm open to reading more Joël Dicker.

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Worst Reese Witherspoon pick I've read

Revisado: 03-31-25

I like to think of myself as a serious reader, but that's a lie. I read (and enjoy) lots of suburban domestic thrillers. This is just implausible dreck. Prime example of a 'novel' that's just an obvious pitch for a film/miniseries adaptation.

Look, the Reese's Book Club sticker doesn't appear on serious literary fiction; she wouldn't claim that it does. But at least it suggests you're not getting total schlock, which First Lie Wins most certainly is.

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Nice, easy read

Revisado: 03-31-25

This isn't The Great British Novel and doesn't try to be. It's more of a novella, peppered throughout with short, humorous observations that author Lisa Owens must have compiled in a notebook here and there.

If it's a gloomy Sunday and you want to hear something light, read by a charming actress, Not Working will meet that need. It's easy to finish in one day.

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Not as fun as the title and cover promise

Revisado: 03-28-25

The catchy title suggests more fun than the book delivers. Florence, a former member of a popular girl group, is an American living in London, with a young son attending an elite prep school. She's not a trashy, uncouth American stereotype, but she's not old-money English. On top of all that, she's 10 years younger than the other moms in her son's class.

There's enough material for a fun social comedy, but the novel turns out to be a (passable but unremarkable) mystery about—get ready for this—the dark secrets under the school's veneer of perfection.

It's not a bad novel; just a letdown. I'd still read a future Sarah Harman release.

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Excellent writing, superb performance

Revisado: 12-14-24

I read about Megan Nolan in an article on up & coming Irish writers, and this novel justifies the buzz. I’ll read her first one and look forward to future releases.

There’s some genuinely great *acting*, not just reading, in the narration. It’s rare to find that.

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esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

A real letdown. Bat-fans will be unsatisfied.

Revisado: 11-26-24

How could one become Batman? How much money would it take? How would one build an underground command center like the Batcave without attracting attention? What resources and know-how would it take to build a Batmobile?

Could one man and his faithful do all of this in secret? Could they get help from others while keeping the Batman project a secret? Most Bat-fans have always wondered these things and more.

The author doesn’t address any of these questions. The book is a physiology/kinesiology text and primer on martial arts with Batman in the title so people will read it.

“Could a man become really strong and a skilled fighter?” That’s the only question the book seeks to answer.

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Well-written, but…

Revisado: 11-20-24

it’s hard not to think Liz Nugent watched the film Room (2015) and started writing the next day.

Jessica Regan does a great job with Sally Diamond’s inner monologue and outsider perspective on common social interactions.

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A++ for Eleanor Tomlinson’s performance

Revisado: 11-09-24

I already liked her as an actress (she was Demelza on Poldark), but she’s extraordinary here. She makes you love, genuinely love her character.

The novel is nice and heartwarming, if not extraordinary, but Tomlinson’s narration makes it a 5-star experience.

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There’s no other book, or writer, like this

Revisado: 10-24-24

Tony Tulathimutte is one of a kind. No one with such a masterful command of language should also possess a devastating and depraved sense of humor. By the end of the third story, “Ahegao,” I was laughing so hard I COULDN'T BREATHE.

Genuine sicko stuff of the highest order. Tulathimutte is a major talent.

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