Jan S

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“I'm nuts about Jasper Fforde, and in awe of his ability to take a slight turn on "normal" and make it fun. I've grinned all the way through the Thursday Next novels, "The Fourth Bear", and "The Big Over Easy", so I was excited to see this new book at the bookstore. So excited that I broke my own economically imposed restriction and bought the hardback rather than waiting for the paperback.

I'm only about 100 pages into it, if that, and it's already been money VERY well spent.

The premise is ... searching for an appropriately wonderful adjective that hasn't been done to death... oh, the hell with it... the premise is freaking awesome, and in Fforde's hands it comes to life in effortless vibrant fullness.

This is NOT a take on a fairy tale or a "nursery crime". This is a whole new reality Fforde has created by taking our own world and turning it "just so", populating it with people who are just like you and me except for a different set of values.

I'll edit or replace this review when I've finished the book. For now, though, five stars and then some.”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Eh...which is disappointing to have to say.

This book had two things in it I particularly enjoy in a story -- engaging characters who tell their own story with more dialogue than narrative, and a story that moves along instead of getting bogged down in itself.

I think my disappointment is due to the author having tried to cram too much into too short a book. Although this is no lightweight, it felt rushed, especially in the last 75 pages or so, almost as though the author had a prescribed number of pages she couldn't exceed.

Then, it just ends -- thud. Maybe the author was leaving herself open for a sequel. If so, it wasn't very elegantly done. If so, I'll give it a try when it comes out because I did finish it and that's a stand-alone litmus test for me.”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is definitely for the Craig Ferguson fans (among which I count myself) and, if you ARE a fan, do yourself a favor and don't read this book -- instead listen to the unabridged audio version read by the man himself. So much better. He is, after all, a stand-up comedian and knows how to tell a story.

Do be aware: This is not one long stand-up routine. Far from it. Ferguson deals unflinchingly with his own early life, his alcoholism, his marriages and divorces, and the ups and downs of his career. He doesn't wallow, though. It's a more matter of fact approach: This is what happened -- as told by the guy it happened to, who really knows how to turn a phrase.

Don't get me wrong. It's a fun to listen to. You have the advantage over print in that you can hear the inflections exactly as he meant them. There are also little asides that made me laugh out loud, especially when he's listing the names his garage band had tried on.

If you're a Ferguson fan, you can't go wrong with this book, especially in audio form. If you're not already a Ferguson fan, this could make you one!

”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I tried several times to read this book and, in a way, it's a credit to Sebold that the first few times I couldn't get past the extremely well written rape and murder that opens the book.

Once I "made" myself get past that -- and it really is just the first very few pages -- the story is surprisingly wonderful. It's a truly unique perspective on something that's happened to too many families, but it doesn't trade only on the fact that it's different; the story is very well told with characters you grow to know.

(One reason I went ahead and read the book is that I want to see the movie and wanted to have read the book first so I could compare them. I also want to see Stanley Tucci as Harvey -- lately he's mostly played nice guys and Harvey is decidedly NOT. Can't wait to see Tucci play him.)”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“This book is definitely only for fans of "A Prairie Home Companion". At least, I think that's the case. It's hard for me to be sure since I am a fan of APHC.

If you know the show, you've heard Garrison Keillor's rambling discussions that begin, "It's been a good week in Lake Wobegon" and then weave together various stories that all wind up at a logical (more or less!) conclusion together. This book is written in the same style, which might be off-putting to some.

I enjoyed the characters enough to finish the book, which is a certain amount of praise by itself, since I'm not above walking away from a book that can't hold my interest. Hence, the three stars I've given it.”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is a must-read for any fan of "Gone with the Wind". Unlike "Scarlett" and other books that tried - and failed - to continue the story, this tells Rhett's PARALLEL story. It's really his story. Scarlett figures prominently in it in places, of course, but there's much more here to his life, before, during, and after his time with Scarlett.

It's a wonderful premise and extremely well executed. It's hard for me to know for sure, since I'm such a fan of GWTW, but I'd venture a guess that even people who aren't at all familiar with GWTW would still enjoy this book, for the engaging character and his story that stands strongly on its own.”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 1 stars

“If I could give 0 stars, I would. I didn't even come close to finishing this.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with New Age writing. In fact, how deeply I am into New Age stuff might surprise some people who know me. This guy, though, isn't New Age or anything like it. The premise of the book, based on the title and subtitle, was what hooked me - THAT part is New Age - but the content did not live up to it at all.

Instead, what's there seems to be a series of self-involved brain-fried essays that are designed to either make the reader think the author is brilliantly gifted with unique insight (NOT EVEN) or else to openly mock the reader which, frankly, is what it felt like to me.

The parts I did read came across like the ramblings of someone who'd smoked more than enough weed to fancy himself an author.”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“For those who've read a few of Kinsella's books, her style is instantly recognizable, and that's true here too. I was intrigued by the premise and her protagonist was engaging enough to keep my interest through the whole, admittedly unlikely, story.

The first Kinsella book I ever read was the first Shopaholic and I had to be careful where and when I read it because it tended to send me into snorts and giggles and outright laughter. Either this one wasn't as funny OR it's just that it can't be my first Kinsella book, but it didn't have that kind of effect on me. Personally, I think it's the latter of those two.

If you've never read any of her stuff, I'd suggest Shopaholic first, and then the others. This one was a fun read.”

Jan S wrote this review Thursday, February 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This was total froth which was just what I was in the mood for. I'd read "Shopaholic" and "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan", so knew pretty much what to expect. A twist, though: I "read" this one on CD, listening to it at bedtime instead of reading. It was fun, due in very large part to the skilled narrator who changed her voice just a little bit for each character without it being embarrassingly forced on her part and who read the part of Samantha (since the story is told in first person) with the same inflection I believe I would have heard in my head had I read it on paper. I found myself looking forward to each evening's chapters. It's contrived, yes, shallow, yes, but also FUN, yes.”

Jan S wrote this review Monday, August 18, 2008. ( reply | permalink )