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Ms H

Ms H

has 9 followers and is following 2 people

  • Burnaby, Br
  • member since March 11, 2010

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Displaying 1-10 of 25 reviews
  • The Dinner
    • Rated 3 stars

    “The narrator, Paul, is having dinner at a posh Amsterdam restaurant with his wife, brother and sister-in-law. Paul does not want to go to this dinner. His brother, Serge, is expected to be elected the next prime minister of Holland, and Paul spends a good deal of time expressing his disdain for his brother's power and position, picking Serge apart and noticing tiny details in his mannerisms as only a sibling could. He also excoriates the insufferable maitre d', who uses his pinky finger to label every food item on each diner's plate, and give its place of origin.
    As the dinner proceeds slowly through its courses, we learn the secrets of this family, and what each member of the family is willing to do to preserve his own happiness and secure the best possible future for the children.
    This novel is a kissing cousin to Gone Girl, in the sense that the narrator is unreliable and the story goes in dark directions. Ii would give it 3.5 stars.”

    Ms H wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Casual Vacancy
    • Rated 3 stars

    “It was a satisfactory plot, I suppose. the only admirable and/or likeable characters were either dead or nearly died, but it was fun to cringe at some of the most disagreeable characters. ”

    Ms H wrote this review Tuesday, January 8, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Gone Girl
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I loved having a liar (Nick) as the first narrator. "It was my fifth lie to the police. I was just starting." (p. 37). I did not see what would happen in the second section at all. The ending was fitting. Nick and Amy: the perfect match?”

    Ms H wrote this review Friday, November 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Light Between Oceans
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Loved the first half of the book. Favourite scene was when the parents were taking Lucy to the church for her baptism, and saw the headstone that had been erected to mark Frank and Grace's drowning. The ending was disappointing.”

    Ms H wrote this review Friday, November 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Art of Racing in the Rain
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I enjoyed this story, narrated by 10 year old Enzo, dog of Denny. Denny goes through terrible experiences (spoiler alert): after his wife's death, her parents demand custody of his 6 year old daughter. When he refuses, he suddenly finds himself charged with the sexual assault of a minor (a 15 year old cousin of Eve's, who made a pass at Denny; he turned her down and sent her packing). The legalities drag on for three years. Denny's in-laws ensure they drain him of his limited resources. If not for Enzo, Denny would have caved in and signed a custody agreement when he was at his lowest point. Enzo saves the day by grabbing the papers and urinating on them. After that, Denny realizes that he agrees with Enzo, and resumes his battle for his daughter. It ends happily, when Denny wins the race by having a heatfelt conversation with his accuser when he spots her at a coffee shop one night. She eventually recants.
    The tear jerking part arises when 10 year old Enzo dies. He knows that he will be reincarnated as a human, and he plans to shake hands with Denny and Zoe when he is reborn. Sure enough, he is reincarnated in the body of a little Italian boy, who is a phenomenally talented cart driver for his age. The boy is named Enzo, and Denny promises to help him in the future as he learns to race cars.
    I'd give this book a three and a half if it were possible. I loved Enzo, and sympathized with Denny. Some of the minor characters were quite two dimensional. Enzo's onservations on human behaviour were spot on, especially what he had to say about people hijacking each other's conversational directions. Also, I noticed that the author dedicated the book "To Muggs"; how universal is our devotion to our beloved dogs, who touch our hearts forever.”

    Ms H wrote this review Monday, October 1, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Language of Flowers
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Although it's only August, I'm confident the the Language of Flowers will be my favourite read of 2012. In first person narration, we learn the story of Victoria Jones. The book opens on her eighteenth birthday. Victoria has been a ward of the state of California since she was abandoned at three weeks of age. Her social worker delivers her to a transition house with $20 and a warning: make a plan and get a job; from here on out you have no one but yourself to blame for what happens in your life.
    In alternate chapters, we lean how Victoria builds her adult life. We also learn what happened in her final foster home with Elizabeth, the woman who wanted to adopt her and told Victoria that there was nothing she could do which would make Elizabeth give her back. Since we know that she was not adopted, and that Elizabeth appears to still be alive, the suspense and anxiety builds: what ultimately went wrong?
    Throughout the novel, the Victorian era language of flowers is an important part of Victoria's life. She uses it to communicate messages to people who don't understand it, such as the judge who receives a bunch of red carnations ("my heart breaks") at a hearing about Victoria's fate. Where did a wild child like Victoria learn such an arcane skill? From Elizabeth. Elizabeth and her sister inherited and divided up the family farm. While Elizabeth's sister got the flower farm, Elizabeth received the vineyard. The sisters used to use the language of flowers to communicate between them. At the time of Victoria's arrival, the sisters have been estranged for many years. Her desire to make a larger family and circle of support for Victoria, and her realization of the importance of family drive Elizabeth to attempt to reconcile with her sister.
    The themes of this novel are the struggles of family and attachments; what it means to be a parent, biological or otherwise; what the costs are in withholding forgiveness; and hope. I found this story beautifully told and incredibly touching. The author herself is a foster mom and has started an organization to support youth making the transition from foster care to adulthood. ”

    Ms H wrote this review Thursday, August 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Post-Birthday World
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Well, I was going to abandon this book around chapter 3, but I didn't have a fresh novel in the house, so I kept reading. The main character, Irina, is living with a wonderful man named Lawrence when the story begins. One night, she is tempted to kiss a famous (in Britain) snooker player named Ramsay. Half the chapters tell the story of her life after she resisted temptation, and went on to live with Lawrence for the next 5 years; the alternate chapters tell of her life after she has left Lawrence for Ramsay.
    Which life is richer? I suppose this could make for a good discussion. I wasn't a huge fan of Irina in either universe. The conceit of Lawrence and Ramsay behaving in opposite ways in the same situation (e.g., Christmas with Irina;s family) became predictable. I also saw Lawrence leaving Irina for Bethany from a long way off. I appreciated the fact that she ended up in the same spot regardless of her decision to kiss or not to kiss Ramsay.”

    Ms H wrote this review Thursday, August 2, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Accident
    • Rated 3 stars

    “The protagonist is a male contractor, and he handles the problems that arise with a masculine hand. I think this novel would appeal to men who aren't particularly fiction readers. I liked the way Barclay used the events of 2008 as a catalyst for the events of this book. I appreciated reading a thriller that was also a commentary on the personal outcomes of political current events. Oh, and I want to add- I didn't see the ending coming!”

    Ms H wrote this review Thursday, August 2, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Forgotten Garden
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This is a plot heavy novel. The action is divided between three time periods: 1900-1913; 1975; and 2005. In 2005, Cassandra, a 40-something woman has returned to live with the grandmother who raised her after she experiences a grave loss. Upon her grandmother's death, Cassandra inherits a cottage in England, and is left to solve the mystery of her grandmother's early years, a mystery which her grandmother, Nell, was beginning to solve in 1975, when she returned to England and purchased the cottage. ”

    Ms H wrote this review Sunday, July 22, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Red Tent
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I enjoyed the latter part of the book, when Dinah is in Egypt, the best.”

    Ms H wrote this review Sunday, July 22, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 25 reviews

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