Book reviews written by Ben

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Displaying 1-10 of 27 reviews

Blindness

by José Saramago
- Rated 5 stars
“Fantastic book, if almost relentlessly grim. I really should stop reading books on the thin veneer of humanity slipping, it's too depressing!”

Ben wrote this review Sunday, November 1, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Screen Burn

by Charlie Brooker
- Rated 4 stars
“Compilation of Charlie Brooker's Guardian TV Reviews from the early 00's - still amusing despite the time passed and my not being intimately familiar with the shows reviewed, mainly due to the way he can tear them apart. If you like his TV work or more recent columns (or just witty and acerbic criticism in general), I can't recommend this enough really.”

Ben wrote this review Saturday, October 24, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Somme

by Peter Hart
- Rated 3 stars
“Listened to the Audiobook of this; an interesting listen and particularly liked the interviews with participants (some of the quotes read by actors were a little off, especially accent wise). ”

Ben wrote this review Friday, October 23, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Prussian Nights : A Poem (Bilingual Ed. Tr from Russian)

by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Rated 4 stars
“Long Narrative poem on the Russian push into Germany which ultimately ended the war in Europe. I've been listening to the excellent Dan Carlin Hardcore History podcasts recently which focused on these events, and the horrors of this conflict are shown here in full - rapes, burnings, murders.

It's not a black/white poem, Solzhenitsyn is clearly a patriot and is happy to see the Germans suffer to an extent. Special marks go to the translation here; there's a fantastic trot to the poem and it's hard to notice that it wasn't written in English originally. ”

Ben wrote this review Tuesday, October 20, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Plague

by Albert Camus
- Rated 5 stars
“Superb in every respect; beautifully written and a fantastic read if taken at face value or on a deeper, allegorical/metaphorical level. I always had in my head that Camus would be heavy-going but it's not at all, a joy to read.”

Ben wrote this review Monday, October 19, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Kinski Uncut

by Joachim Neugroschel, Klaus Kinski
- Rated 3 stars
“Kinski is a deranged lunatic, I didn't enjoy it all but there's some pure gold in here - his ego is completely off the scale.”

Ben wrote this review Monday, October 19, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Never-Ending Days of Being Dead

by Marcus Chown
- Rated 4 stars
“Frequently went over my head, and some of the theories are a little "out-there" to say the least but that's what this kind of thing is all about. ”

Ben wrote this review Monday, October 19, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Ten Questions Science Can't Answer (Yet!): A Guide to Science's Greatest Mysteries

by Michael Hanlon
- Rated 3 stars
“Don't fully agree with all his observations (such as the inclusion of Cold Fusion and Homoeopathy) but an interesting book - especially enjoyed the sections on the "Wow" signal and the Pioneer space probe.”

Ben wrote this review Monday, October 19, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Connections

by James Burke
- Rated 3 stars
“Interesting perspective on history, seemingly unrelated discoveries and innovations leading to social change or new inventions. I listened to the audiobook, which whilst a good listen, did seem to skate along quickly and it would have been nice to dwell longer on certain sections but a recommended read/listen.”

Ben wrote this review Monday, October 19, 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Understanding Comics

by Scott McCloud
- Rated 5 stars
“Ideal primer for anyone new to comics, and essential reading for any existing comic-fans. ”

Ben wrote this review Monday, October 19, 2009. ( reply | permalink )