Kiki68

• Rated 3 stars

“I love Anne Tyler, but this not my favorite book by her. However, I really loved the ending. It just worked for me and did help the rest of the book, which was a sad and depressing, to really click for me.”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is one of my all time favorite books--I just loved this story and remember picking it up when I was about 22 or so, and not really liking it much. Picking it up a few years later, it virtually exploded for me! What a wonderful story and great characterizations--all important to me! ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“This was a very disturbing book, yet I really enjoyed reading it. Our book group had a great discussion about it--definitely timely subject matter.”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I had an advanced reader's copy of this book, and I thought it was just wonderful. Very interesting, I loved the Bloomsbury group in particular. Also, the writing and research was excellent--i can't even imagine the amount of material available on these prolific writers and I was impressed with Roiphe's ability to organize and discuss in depth, but without giving too much info on each couple or group she devotes a section too. ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“This book is not the perfect novel, but there are so many things I really loved about it. The writing is beautiful, the story is interestign and different from any other, and I like the main character's philosophy and dicoveries about life. I do agree with some other reviewers here who felt Naslund "ran our of steam" at the last 100 pages or so. I felt she tried to introduce too many "new" characters right at the end. But a wonderful book none the less. ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Amusing and even poignant at times, Jacobs, an self proclaimed agnostic embarks on what seems to be a pretty big endeavor (in my opinion) in his latest book. Of course, anyone having read Jacobs' first book, The Know-It-All, is familiar with his projects on a grand scale! A.J.aka Jacob (his Biblical persona)is planning on spending the year living as closely to the Bible as the Bible itself prescribes. Over the year, he discovers many things about himself, about his family, and about complete strangers. I especially love the input of Jacobs' family members regarding his project--esp. his mom and aunts. The variety of people he meets and seeks out is impressive and he tries to keep an open mind about all faiths (particularly the Judeo-Chjristian ones) throughout the books. He does succeed. My feeling at the end of the book was this was way to big a project for one person to handle alone. Truly, it an impossible feat. But Jacobs does his very best, and learns much about himself during his year long odyssey. This one is fun and you'll more than likely learn something. Jacobs also remains very respectful to all the faiths and the various people he comes into contact with throughout the book. ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, January 11, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“A depressing but well written story of disillusioned youth in India. ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Saturday, January 5, 2008. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 1 stars

“This is my first Paulo Coelho novel, although I always seeThe Alchemist and read about it on recommended reading lists. I have to admit I have found this one to be rather a snooze. I was certainly less than intrigued by the main character (The Witch, Athena, Hagia Sofia,etc ad nauseum). I understodd the author is trying to be esoteric here, and he seems very "deep" but I was bored! There was no real story, and I found his leaps and bounds from on setting to another confusing and unnecessary. I just didn't like this one, and I will often try to pick something up again later if I don't think I understood it the first time--but I just didn't like this one, at all. I'd say skip it and try Ahab's Wife instead! ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Saturday, December 22, 2007. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Interesting narrative style, beautiful despcriptions of environment and lovely character development. More of a novella than a novel. Not quite of the same epic quality of Suite Francais, but then, I don' think that is what the author had in mind here. Silvio seems to be an objective observer of life in his rural childhood town, but he soon hints he knows much more about the intrigues of his fellow villagers. Secrets of friends and relatives are soon revealed, including some of his own. Beautiful writing, wonderful and sad story. ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Friday, December 14, 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“"One of the hardest things about being alive is being with other people" Michael Engleby.

This book is a masterful re-working of Dr, Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. Engleby is a loner, a singularly non-happy person. He doesn't really seem to know what happiness is. He has an unhappy childhood, filled with abuse heaped on him by his father, his school mates and via the neglect of non-caring adults. His foray into the transitional world of college leaves him faring not much better--he self medicates with drugs; marijuana, hashish, and various pharmaceuticals all washed down with copious amounts of alcohol.

Engleby describes his rages and panic attacks and hints that he has problems with recalling what really happened at such times. He has serious detachment issues with everyone in his world it seems--his family, acquaintances and coworkers--even his girlfriend. When a collge "friend" disappears, the vanishing remains a mystery for many years. Until a body is found and Engleby remembers something.

This book was fascinating, becasue it is told entirely from his point of view--except for the interjected passages from the missing girl's diary, which he has stolen, and a doctor's repost and one friend's take on who Engleby may really be. I loved the ending and found it to be quite poignant. I highly recommend this book. ”

Kiki68 wrote this review Tuesday, December 4, 2007. ( reply | permalink )