Book reviews written by Brian L

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Displaying 1-10 of 23 reviews

Child 44

by Tom Rob Smith
- Rated 4 stars
“Though it starts off feeling like a profile of the stifling life under Stalin, an examination of one officer's crisis of faith in the state quickly becomes a Bourne-style chase thriller. The care and research that obviously went in helps paint a very vivid picture of an intense story in an already-tense setting.”

Brian L wrote this review Monday, September 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )
I Love You More Than You Know

by Jonathan Ames
- Rated 2 stars
“Jonathan Ames, the man, is an interesting, neurotic, outrageous, and probably very smart and funny person. The stories in this book, however, tend more toward the neurotic; though there are some gems, it's not consistently funny, moving, or thought-provoking.”

Brian L wrote this review Thursday, August 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

by Max Brooks
- Rated 5 stars
“An incredible spin on the zombie apocalypse that looks at the old horror premise through a social-political lens and on a worldwide scale. It's not about scares or gore but what the end of the world will do to the people left in it, and it's a smart, fascinating read.”

Brian L wrote this review Monday, August 24 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Way Through Doors (Vintage Contemporaries)

by Jesse Ball
- Rated 2 stars
“The nested stories intertwine so heavily, like hallucinations, you're never quite sure where you are or where you'll end up. It certainly kept me turning pages, but more in the hopes I'd finally find some explanation, not because every new turn was a pleasure.”

Brian L wrote this review Wednesday, July 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Netherland

by Joseph O'Neill
- Rated 4 stars
“Although the plot is somewhat uneventful, the writing on life and love and self is so elegant, it's a wonderful pleasure to read. A real book-lover's book.”

Brian L wrote this review Wednesday, July 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations

by Simon Rich
- Rated 3 stars
“As a collection of micro-stories it works well, each with its own funny premise and not trying to draw out a single joke too long. The only drawback is its brevity, which means' you'll be done in no time and wishing there were more.”

Brian L wrote this review Thursday, June 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays

by David Foster Wallace
- Rated 5 stars
“David Foster Wallace is one of the few writers who could over-intellectualize while remaining incredibly readable. Smarter and funnier than most, this collection of essays offer great proof that he could turn any topic into a profound and entertaining reflection.”

Brian L wrote this review Thursday, June 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Lush Life: A Novel

by Richard Price
- Rated 4 stars
“Price's characters come totally to life whether they're cops, criminals, witnesses or victims. His skill writing for the Wire is the same he uses to propel us through this book of cultures clashing, telling a simple story from the points of view of everyone involved, so you can't stop turning the page to see the next revelation.”

Brian L wrote this review Sunday, June 7 2009. ( reply | permalink )
A Fraction of the Whole

by Steve Toltz
- Rated 3 stars
“Impressive in its winding, multi-generational scope, A Fraction of the Whole is a funny and philosophical history of a family of over-thinkers. Plenty clever, but a little weighed down by its own scale, so that like the main characters you're left full of ideas but not sure what to do with them.”

Brian L wrote this review Monday, April 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Ham on Rye

by Charles Bukowski
- Rated 3 stars
“Life is basically pointless, people are generally idiots, happy people just don't get it but thankfully booze helps. That's essentially this book, and though it sounds bleak, Bukowski makes it interesting at the very least.”

Brian L wrote this review Saturday, March 28 2009. ( reply | permalink )