While I enjoyed this one, I'm finding it hard to rate and review it.
The Poirot novels are classic detective mysteries and this one is no different. HoWhile I enjoyed this one, I'm finding it hard to rate and review it.
The Poirot novels are classic detective mysteries and this one is no different. However, this is set out unlike any other detective mystery I've ever read, including others by Agatha Christie herself. We're following an historic case. It's been 16 years since the murder in question. Poirot interviews the different members of the police and clergy involved, then the witnesses in Book I. In Book II, we then get the written statements of all the witnesses. And, of course, the reveal in Book III.
The way this is set out, with the interviews so carefully laid out, then the witness statements, reading this felt like reading an interactive mystery. That it was made to be solved by the reader. I don't think this is the case, but it was fun to read with other people and try to solve it, which is what I did, but standing on it's own it's very repetitive. We hear the same events over and over again during the interviews, and then again in the witness statements. It was a bit much and I think if I hadn't read this with other people I would have struggled.
I did, though, enjoy the writing a lot in this one. It's full of pretty lines and powerful quotes. I also liked seeing Poirot's methods more obviously since we, as the reader, are at the mercy of his questioning and thoughts.
I would recommend this if you like Poirot already and want to continue, but I don't think this is a good place to start with him or with Christie in general....more
I'm not smart or cultured enough to write real reviews of plays. I listened to the BBC production of this and I'm so pleased I did because it brings tI'm not smart or cultured enough to write real reviews of plays. I listened to the BBC production of this and I'm so pleased I did because it brings the little town of Llarreggub to life in a way I don't think would have been possible had I just read the words on the page. It's lyrical and intriguing and I enjoyed myself. A great little play....more
What can I say about a Christie book that hasn't already been said?
This book is such a good time. In the author's note at the beginning of the book, AWhat can I say about a Christie book that hasn't already been said?
This book is such a good time. In the author's note at the beginning of the book, Agatha Christie describes this as her favourite of her works, and it's easy to see why. This novel is so much fun to read. The patriarch of the Leonides family has been murdered, and all members of his family are capable of the crime, under the right circumstances.
At different points, we suspect them all. At one point I was so unsure of who it could be that I suspected they were all in it together! The double twist at the end was genius, and we see the crumbs Christie scattered along the way in a flash, and it all makes sense.
This was my first Agatha Christie novel and I already can't wait to read more....more
I'm not qualified enough to start dissecting poetry so I'm just going to say I absolutely loved this collection. These poems are excellent and so enteI'm not qualified enough to start dissecting poetry so I'm just going to say I absolutely loved this collection. These poems are excellent and so entertaining. I can't wait to read more Rossetti!...more
I actually listened to a reading of this by, of all people, Tony Robertson on the Christmas episode of his podcast, which is all about Christina RosseI actually listened to a reading of this by, of all people, Tony Robertson on the Christmas episode of his podcast, which is all about Christina Rossetti. I was surprised to notice that I actually had this little edition and read it again!
I really enjoyed this poem and the different ways it can be interpreted. I love Rossetti's style and feel, knowing a little bit about her, that this is a really interesting poem with some really interesting ideas. I'm really excited to read more poems by her!...more
I don't know if I really have anything to say that hasn't already been said about Rebecca. The writing is beautiful. I love the way Daphne du Maurier I don't know if I really have anything to say that hasn't already been said about Rebecca. The writing is beautiful. I love the way Daphne du Maurier pulls you into the whirlpool, ever so slowly, and then rips you under the water. I felt everything alongside our main character, even though we never find out her name. I felt her sadness, her guilt, her anxiety. I felt the oppressive, muggy, English heat physically keeping her down. I felt the weight lifted, and then bear down again. du Maurier was obviously a talented writer and I'm so excited to try something else by her.
The only reason I couldn't give this a full five stars is that the first half of this novel is almost unbearably slow. It took me a full week to drag myself through and then devoured the second half in two days. Nothing happens for so long and then we are bombarded by twists and turns and revelations. I stayed up late two nights in a row because I wanted so badly to see what would happen next.
I initially bought this book because this particular edition is gorgeous and my name, too, is Rebekah and I wanted to display the R on the front of this book. Then I ran out of space to have this facing outwards and it got lost over the years underneath my other books. I'm so pleased I decided to finally pick it up because it was absolutely worth it. Now I can display it again because it's pretty and because it's excellent....more
Very, very funny. I especially loved the characters in this one and the ending made me laugh so much. I'm really enjoying reading the Discworld so farVery, very funny. I especially loved the characters in this one and the ending made me laugh so much. I'm really enjoying reading the Discworld so far....more
What a pleasant surprise this little book was. This is a beloved classic, adapted countless times, so I don't have anything to really add to the milliWhat a pleasant surprise this little book was. This is a beloved classic, adapted countless times, so I don't have anything to really add to the millions of reviews before mine. But I would like to say, the prose is absolutely fantastic. It's easy to see why people hearing that infamous BBC broadcast thought it was real. H.G. Wells writes in a way that truly pulls you in and keeps you transfixed. It feels real even reading it....more
I have had Journey to the West in the back of my mind for a few years so when I saw this beautiful, abridged, newly translated edition in Waterstones I have had Journey to the West in the back of my mind for a few years so when I saw this beautiful, abridged, newly translated edition in Waterstones I decided to pick it up.
This novel is so much fun to read. I'm kind of sad this is an abridged version because I loved the translation so much, and I think that is why I enjoyed this as much as I did. The actual content of the book is a great fantasy novel and I really enjoyed both the first part about Monkey and the second part about the actual journey. It is compared to The Canterbury Tales on the little sleeve I got with it, which I haven't read but definitely want to bump up my tbr now if this is true! I would say this is mostly just the conflicts that the party has due to it being an abridged version but I kind of loved that I was hopping from fight to fight, especially as I spent so long with this one.
As mentioned, though, I think the translation is really clever. Now, this is an old book. Usually, in translating and updating old books, people update the language used and modernise it. Usually, I don't like this. In this, though, it worked so well and it was so subtle. It really makes the humour shine.
I would definitely recommend this translation of the book, though I haven't read any others so can't compare it. I really enjoyed it, though!...more
This is a really unique novel from a perspective I'd never read from before. Reading this was way overdue for me. You can tell that, not only has MarkThis is a really unique novel from a perspective I'd never read from before. Reading this was way overdue for me. You can tell that, not only has Mark Haddon worked with autistic children, but that he was good at his job. This is a really thoughtful book and it definitely taught me something.
The book itself is from a perspective that is still lacking in mainstream novels, honestly. I really liked Christopher and I really enjoyed reading his thought processes. I hated how adults talked to him. Siobhan was the only one that didn't patronise him or talk down to him. The way the police treated him was sickening, and, to be honest, they haven't really changed in the way they treat people with developmental disorders. The curious incident itself was a good mystery, while it lasted, and I was surprised at how bad it was, considering this is a teen book.
I also really enjoyed the way the writing made me feel. I got stressed when Christopher got stressed, and needed a break when he did. I didn't expect to gel so well with him because I know I think and process things a lot differently to the way he does, so this was a nice touch.
This is something I definitely recommend picking up. I'm actually sad it has taken so long for me to read this. This is a book I'll be making sure I recommend to everyone!...more
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