Book reviews written by robyn r

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Displaying 1-10 of 12 reviews

Martin Dressler

by Steven Millhauser
- Rated 2 stars
“endless description of construction and change in NYC at turn of century, but no depth to characters or much of a story. Would not recommend - this won the Pulitzer??!”

robyn r wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
Go Tell It on the Mountain

by James Baldwin
- Rated 2 stars
“The writing is beautiful, but Baldwin spends a lot of time on Christian Hell and Heaven talk. I wanted the story to flow faster, I got the culture and the mindset of the book. I'm glad I read this important work of fiction, I will check out another of his works.”

robyn r wrote this review Tuesday, September 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Offshore

by Penelope Fitzgerald
- Rated 2 stars
“nothing happens, nice characters. Boring (but short!)”

robyn r wrote this review Thursday, September 24 2009. ( reply | permalink )
G.: A Novel

by John Berger
- Rated 1 stars
“really, a waste of time. don't make yourself keep reading.”

robyn r wrote this review Sunday, September 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Danish Girl

by David Ebershoff
- Rated 2 stars
“I was looking for more exposition of the psychology and journey of this man as he became a woman. all characters pretty underdeveloped. Author takes time describing unimportant things to distract from not going deep enough. A sexy topic made blah.”

robyn r wrote this review Sunday, September 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Founding Brothers

by Joseph J. Ellis
- Rated 5 stars
“Loved this so much. I learned more about this country than I ever did in a history class. Very well written.”

robyn r wrote this review Tuesday, September 1 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York

by Chandler Burr
- Rated 4 stars
“This book gives a keen, elaborate look into the process of making a commercial perfume. I loved every minute of Burr's descriptions of the executive and creative players, the chemistry of the art, the scents. He's candid and seems to share his knowledge openly, with a sophisticated nose and understanding himself. I'm smitten, and will definitely read his other book on Luca Turin.”

robyn r wrote this review Tuesday, August 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Killer Angels

by Michael Shaara
- Rated 3 stars
“much better understanding of north and south mindsets, why they were fighting and really, the luck and strategy that won the war. showed glimpses of what the author thinks might have happened with a southern win. Interesting, great characterization of the officers on both sides.”

robyn r wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Plague of Doves: A Novel

by Louise Erdrich
- Rated 2 stars
“I had to read this for my book club - my impression was that the book was going to take too many dramatic incidents and too many characters, and not have an ulitmate message. I was mostly right in my prediction. writing was ok, theme and execution weak. The preacher chapter was boring and dragged the most. Overall, she writes interesting characters - this work could be reworked to a much better group of short stories.”

robyn r wrote this review Saturday, July 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Matters of Honor

by Louis Begley
- Rated 4 stars
“great exploration of the drive towards acculturation, shame at being different and specifically Jewish, in a way that I cannot imagine. the book did a good job of showing the world of old money and its code of manners and social expectations.”

robyn r wrote this review Monday, May 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )