Kevin Ansbro’s books on Goodreads (405 books) (original) (raw)

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| | # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | pages | rating | ratings | pub | (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | | comments | votes | count | started | read | addedDown arrow | | owned | | | format | | | -------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------- | -------------------- | --------------- | ----------------- | --------------- | ------------------ | --------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | ------ | | | checkbox | position | cover The Veldt | title The Veldt | author Bradbury, Ray | isbn 0886821088 | isbn13 9780886821081 | asin 0886821088 | num pages 45pp | avg rating 4.14 | num ratings 12,594 | date pub Sep 23, 1950 | date pub edition Nov 20, 1987 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Nov 04, 2024 | owned | format Library Binding | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Lion's Den | title The Lion's Den | author Marra, Anthony * | isbn 1542010187 | isbn13 9781542010184 | asin B07ZP15Y7F | num pages 28pp | avg rating 3.46 | num ratings 3,816 | date pub Dec 19, 2019 | date pub edition Dec 19, 2019 | Kevin's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review I have mixed feelings about this, a contemplative short story about a man coming to terms with his dead father's infamous past. On the one hand, I sav I have mixed feelings about this, a contemplative short story about a man coming to terms with his dead father's infamous past. On the one hand, I savoured Marra's faultless writing (I already knew he was a dab hand); on the other, the story was… Well, it was rather boring.Yes, a lot of universal truths are spoken, and yes there were a few comedic touches, but the account wasn't likely to linger long in my mind. But please know that I am very easily bored, so don't trust me to be your boredom barometer!The piece reads more like non-fiction than fiction, thereby failing to light the fuse to my enthusiasm. Some of the themes just wafted by me, like those floaty wisps of gauze that conveniently settle on the private parts of a Rubens nude. The title, which is used both metaphorically and literally, is well chosen and the father's pugnacious personality exquisitely observed. An easy five out of five for Marra's accomplished writing.Three out of five for the story. If you haven't already, I would urge you to read his The Tsar of Love and Techno, which is a real treat and far from boring! : ) ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 30 | votes 61 | # times read 2 | date started Jan 19, 2022 not set | date read Jan 20, 2022 not set | date added Sep 28, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Bullets in the Briar | title Bullets in the Briar | author Silver, Kimber * | isbn | isbn13 9798986083612 | asin B0DC245HNN | num pages 271pp | avg rating 4.76 | num ratings 21 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Sep 03, 2024 | Kevin's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review "What James Lee Burke does for Louisiana, Kimber Silver does for Kansas." —Karen HolmesKimber Silver, a book blogger and Goodreads enthusiast, beca "What James Lee Burke does for Louisiana, Kimber Silver does for Kansas." —Karen HolmesKimber Silver, a book blogger and Goodreads enthusiast, became poacher-turned-gamekeeper when she released a book of her own, back in 2022. And what a debut! Broken Rhodes was a well-received novel fizzing with wisecracks and a hullabaloo of unbridled energy. And this sequel, a cosy small-town murder mystery, is every bit as engaging.The author writes lovingly about her home state of Kansas, and her cast of earthy characters are wonderfully evoked. Moreover, she has a mastery of colloquial dialogue not often seen in modern literature. I don't want to waste your time rambling on about the plot, but must give a special mention to incoming character Dean McCormick, a Harvard-educated biker who'd give Thor a run for his money. He, ladies and gentlemen, is the kind of guy who could find a woman's G-spot just by winking at her. So be warned! There is an impishness to Silver's writing; her humour is subtly witty and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. Without giving too much away, there is one scene (as two of the characters were getting into a hot session of faire l'amour) where an unexpected outburst caused me to erupt with laughter. Loved that! : )Now, here is something you need to know…As I am clearly an incredibly butch slab of masculinity who shaves with an axe and fights with bears, you might wonder how I got on with the cosy romantic mystery side of things…Well, it wasn't really my bag, but then I remembered that I am secretly partial to a chocolate box Hallmark movie when the mood strikes, so I went with it! In this book, you will find more ne'er-do-wells than you could shake a stick at: you will boo and hiss at Trenton Crawley, a slimy status seeker; and you will definitely get behind Sheriff Lincoln James as he battles for the good folk of Harlow, Kansas. Silver has a big-hearted writing style and writes with great affection for the type of people she grew up with. And -as in the first book- her characters are a valuable part of the novel. Dang! This was an entertaining read, y'all! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 70 | votes 107 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 2024 | date read Sep 04, 2024 | date added Aug 03, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Victory City | title Victory City | author Rushdie, Salman | isbn 1787333450 | isbn13 9781787333451 | asin 1787333450 | num pages 352pp | avg rating 3.79 | num ratings 12,207 | date pub Feb 07, 2023 | date pub edition Feb 09, 2023 | Kevin's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review I have loved Sir Salman Rushdie's work ever since he fired up my imagination with the writing that bejewelled every page of Midnight's Children. And I I have loved Sir Salman Rushdie's work ever since he fired up my imagination with the writing that bejewelled every page of Midnight's Children. And I've since hoped that he might one day match, or even eclipse, his crowning achievement. Did Rushdie achieve that with Victory City? Let's just say that he gave Midnight's Children a run for its money. The opening sentence promised much: "On the last day of her life when she was two hundred and forty-seven years old, the blind poet, miracle worker and prophetess Pampa Kampala completed her immense narrative poem and buried it in a clay pot sealed with wax in the heart of the Royal Enclosure, as a message to the future." "Yes!" I shouted, putting on my MC Hammer pants and gliding sideways across the room. "Sir Salman is back on top form and I am loving it!" Inspired by a once-flourishing medieval Hindu kingdom in Southern India, the author brings us an allegorical fairy tale in which Pampa Kampala (who ages as slowly as an oak tree) propagates a living, breathing city from little more than seeds and whispers. The scope of Rushdie's imagination and the magnitude of his world-building is still astonishing: it's an Indian Game of Thrones; it's Sinbad and the Arabian Nights; it's The Odyssey and War and Peace with just a hint of Benjamin Button thrown in. It's brilliant! I must admit that I quite enjoyed Rushdie deliberately taking liberties with the dialogue - as magical realism permits - by wryly adopting an Errol Flynn*/Basil Rathbone* manner of speaking.*(those of you fortunate enough to be favoured by youth and peachy complexions may need to Google these two actors). And the old maestro has lost none of his impishness: "In the evenings at the time of the sunset promenade, it was possible to see couples of all sorts taking the air and holding hands without embarrassment: men and men, women and women, and yes, men and women too." Sadly, despite my initial excitement, the story (for me) didn't quite live up to its breathtaking promise.Because Rushdie has long ago transcended his craft, and has become a global cause célèbre, I feel he might be resting on his laurels and that I might now be reading his books just to purr over the quality of his writing, rather than his storytelling.But his exuberance lights up every page, I adore his writing, and still tip my hat to his virtuosity. So, despite the irresolute storyline, it can only be five radiant stars! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 47 | votes 129 | # times read 1 | date started Apr 17, 2024 | date read May 19, 2024 | date added Jun 19, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Eleven Kinds of Loneliness | title Eleven Kinds of Loneliness | author Yates, Richard | isbn 0679722211 | isbn13 9780679722212 | asin 0679722211 | num pages 230pp | avg rating 4.05 | num ratings 6,733 | date pub 1962 | date pub edition Jan 01, 1989 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added May 17, 2024 | owned | format Mass Market Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Revolutionary Road | title Revolutionary Road | author Yates, Richard | isbn 0099518627 | isbn13 9780099518624 | asin 0099518627 | num pages 338pp | avg rating 3.93 | num ratings 90,103 | date pub Dec 31, 1961 | date pub edition Jan 01, 2007 | Kevin's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Richard Yates was once a speech writer for Senator Robert Kennedy in the 1960s and proclaimed by many of his peers to be the best writer of their gene Richard Yates was once a speech writer for Senator Robert Kennedy in the 1960s and proclaimed by many of his peers to be the best writer of their generation, so I thought it would be remiss of me not to take him for a test drive.The first page alone was enough to convince me of his writing ability, so I proceeded with a smile on my face, cookie crumbs on my shirt and great joy in my heart.The story centres on an eye-catching young middle-class couple, Frank and April Wheeler who, to all outward appearances, seem to have it all. But behind closed doors, they present as two extremely complex characters: she, eager to please, yet aloof and ready to self-destruct; him, with a superiority complex but crippled with self-doubt. April is a romantic dreamer trapped in a gilded cage whereas Frank is inherently shallow and dismissive of other people's feelings and opinions. Yates' erudite prose perfectly and creditably captures the zeitgeist of American 1950s middle-class respectability and is firmly set in a time when the white-collar world was heavily reliant on typewriters, filing cabinets and mail rooms. Together, April and Frank become as high as kites on idealistic notions, privately pouring scorn on their suburban neighbours and railing against the sentimentality of the American dream without seeming to realise that they are the ones with problems.ARTY FARTY TRIGGER WARNING! Avert your gaze, dear reader, or be prepared to suffer an occurrence of toe-curling pretentiousness as I try to describe one aspect of Yates' writing methodology. Here it comes… Yates sometimes, very cleverly in my opinion, creates sentences from oblique angles, refracting them as if through a prism (I did warn you!). This allows his readers to evaluate his characters from different perspectives. It's as if the living voice of a person unknown exists in the shadows of these pages. ARTY-FARTINESS OVER. (Let's all pretend it didn't happen).In truth, the story is not the star of the show. Yates' keen observations of human quirks are exceptional and his sentences are as neat as fresh laundry. I also liked the explanatory asides that popped up mid-sentence like poppies in a field of straw. Yes, he was overly fond of a semi-colon when the respite of a well-placed full stop would have sufficed, but the fellow's writing was top-notch. I'm now a fan of his barbed prose. The guy had skill. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 84 | votes 193 | # times read 1 | date started Apr 12, 2024 | date read May 16, 2024 | date added May 16, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Lucky Jim | title Lucky Jim | author Amis, Kingsley | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages 251pp | avg rating 3.75 | num ratings 30,645 | date pub 1954 | date pub edition 1992 | Kevin's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review I was drawn to Kingsley Amis's debut novel because it has been described as a "literary tour de force" by aficionados far cleverer than I. Moreover, t I was drawn to Kingsley Amis's debut novel because it has been described as a "literary tour de force" by aficionados far cleverer than I. Moreover, the blurb promised "A brilliantly and preposterously funny book". So, before I'd even touched the first page, I was shimmying in the manner of a Brazilian carnival dancer in hot anticipation of satirical excellence. The book introduces us to an unworldly and hapless junior lecturer in his first year at a provincial university (the eponymous 'Lucky Jim', aka Jim Dixon) who rails against the pomposity of the university's old world order. My three bits of good news are that the entire piece is well crafted, that Amis's plainspoken writing style is not to be sneezed at, and that some of the humour did at least cause me to crack a smile.The bad news (for me at least) is that the humour didn't raise anything more than a smile because I'm a grizzled sourpuss who's been around the block innumerable times and no longer finds campus humour to be particularly funny. This novel was deemed shocking back in the day, so I guess I should have read it whilst I was still a long-haired English literature student, because then it might have seemed anarchic and risqué and might have titillated me more than it did. Amis must have intended that his readers would side with Jim Dixon, that they might find him an endearing rebel and a well-intentioned vodka-swilling underdog. But my impression was that he needed to sort himself out and stop being such a pathetic loser. Please note that most readers of this book found it completely hilarious and deliciously edgy, so it might be a very good idea to disregard all that I've said. And there we have it: my nonconformist review of Lucky Jim. Devotees of this book are welcome to come after me with pitchforks and lanterns in hand, but I've already fled the village. : ) ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 53 | votes 96 | # times read 1 | date started Apr 20, 2024 | date read May 15, 2024 | date added May 15, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Seven Serpents and Seven Moons | title Seven Serpents and Seven Moons | author Aguilera Malta, Demetrio | isbn 0380547678 | isbn13 9780380547678 | asin 0380547678 | num pages 326pp | avg rating 4.07 | num ratings 54 | date pub 1970 | date pub edition Jun 01, 1981 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Apr 16, 2024 | owned | format Mass Market Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Chocolate Box (Hercule Poirot) | title The Chocolate Box | author Christie, Agatha | isbn 1974933601 | isbn13 9781974933600 | asin 1974933601 | num pages 1pp | avg rating 3.86 | num ratings 2,977 | date pub 1925 | date pub edition Jan 16, 2019 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Jan 31, 2024 | owned | format Audiobook | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Water | title Water | author Boyne, John * | isbn 0857529811 | isbn13 9780857529817 | asin 0857529811 | num pages 176pp | avg rating 4.32 | num ratings 12,899 | date pub Nov 02, 2023 | date pub edition Nov 07, 2023 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Oct 31, 2023 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas | title The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas | author Le Guin, Ursula K. | isbn 0886825016 | isbn13 9780886825010 | asin 0886825016 | num pages 32pp | avg rating 4.37 | num ratings 45,174 | date pub Oct 1973 | date pub edition Apr 1997 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Oct 30, 2023 | owned | format Library Binding | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Perspective of the Constellation: Poems-Volume 17 (The Traduka Wisdom Poetry Series) | title The Perspective of the Constellation: Poems-Volume 17 | author Slater, Wendy E. * | isbn 194351206X | isbn13 9781943512065 | asin B0C9F5HC11 | num pages 142pp | avg rating 5.00 | num ratings 15 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Jul 02, 2023 | Kevin's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review "Like an insecure prayer, or a counterfeit candle lit in The Church."Shamanic poetess, Wendy E Slater, invokes a common purpose through which we might "Like an insecure prayer, or a counterfeit candle lit in The Church."Shamanic poetess, Wendy E Slater, invokes a common purpose through which we might all set the tone for a future of harmony aboard this planet; her poetry is a constellation of spiritual musings from deep within her kaleidoscopic soul. Slater is a force majeure hurtling towards the truth, championing Mother Nature's abundance while drawing upon Rumi's timeless principles of earth, air, water and fire. There is a raw honesty in her penmanship as she passionately rails against betrayal and false narratives, the Yin/Yang of Slater's optimism and cynicism jostling for position within the subtext of her script. Each line is spoken from the heart, each word plucked from the cosmos and then allowed to float on the breeze: aching, caring, provoking, hoping_… This author's stirring poetry takes me to a place that no novel can. Her humanity is venerable, her passion undeniable.It seems that Wendy E Slater's heart is reborn each time she puts pen to paper. And long may that continue! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 16 | votes 78 | # times read 1 | date started Oct 28, 2023 | date read Oct 29, 2023 | date added Oct 29, 2023 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Quae Nocent Docent What Hurts, Teaches: A Collection of Poems and Musings | title Quae Nocent Docent What Hurts, Teaches: A Collection of Poems and Musings | author Novick, Honey | isbn 1738674630 | isbn13 9781738674633 | asin 1738674630 | num pages 68pp | avg rating 4.40 | num ratings 5 | date pub unknown | date pub edition 2023 | Kevin's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review . "Quae Nocent, Docent" (What Hurts, Teaches)Based on the premise that what doesn't break us makes us stronger, a group of marginalised Canadian wr . "Quae Nocent, Docent" (What Hurts, Teaches)Based on the premise that what doesn't break us makes us stronger, a group of marginalised Canadian writers have pulled together an insightful collection of poems and compositions. Some are achingly sad, while others are a beautiful blend of humour and pathos. All speak a truth and embody the resilience of the human spirit. It must be said that some are inevitably better than others, but each has a unique voice and a creative worth. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be Richard Van Holst's bittersweet Icarus on Bloor Street where the author, who suffers from cerebral palsy, introduces us to a typically embarrassing moment in his life in which well-meaning, but unintentionally patronising, bystanders rush to his aid as he clatters to the pavement in a confusion of arms, legs and crutches. In this touching belle lettre, Van Holst maintains his equilibrium by biting back sarcasm and resorting to a stoic sense of humour that made me want to hug and hi-five him all at once (if such an adroit feat were even possible). Bravo to all of these writers - and also to the Friendly Spike Theatre Band for their meritorious cause. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 24 | votes 44 | # times read 2 | date started Oct 11, 2023 not set | date read Oct 16, 2023 not set | date added Oct 16, 2023 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Secret Life of Insects and Other Stories | title The Secret Life of Insects and Other Stories | author Esquinca, Bernardo | isbn 1954321953 | isbn13 9781954321953 | asin 1954321953 | num pages 210pp | avg rating 4.13 | num ratings 217 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Oct 2023 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 1 | votes 4 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Aug 22, 2023 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Magus | title The Magus | author Fowles, John | isbn 0316296198 | isbn13 9780316296199 | asin 0316296198 | num pages 656pp | avg rating 4.05 | num ratings 60,321 | date pub 1965 | date pub edition Jan 04, 2001 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Jul 02, 2023 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Birthmark | title The Birthmark | author Hawthorne, Nathaniel | isbn | isbn13 | asin B009JMCX78 | num pages 42pp | avg rating 3.67 | num ratings 4,735 | date pub Mar 1843 | date pub edition Sep 29, 2012 | Kevin's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review For some strange reason, this review (written in 2019) has completely disappeared from view! : (So I've restored it from a backup copy. "The key to ha For some strange reason, this review (written in 2019) has completely disappeared from view! : (So I've restored it from a backup copy. **"The key to happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection."**—Debra MessingAylmer is a scientist more in love with his experiments than with Georgiana, his beautiful young wife. Somewhat in denial, but more so preoccupied with his work, he has hitherto failed to notice an unusual blemish on his wife's cheek: a red birthmark, vibrant against her pale skin, and shaped like a tiny human hand.Many a gentleman would have welcomed the opportunity to kiss that little hand, but oh no, not our Aylmer. He finds the birthmark hideous and wants it removed. I'd have given lowlife Aylmer a thud if I was her! (Aylmer Thud: I do amuse myself).So the fable proceeds with our scumbag scientist's attempts to rid his dutiful wife of her rather fetching blemish.Will his God complex and pursuit of perfection be the ruination of their marriage? Will Georgiana put a branding iron to his face and give the bastard a proper flaw that he won't soon forget? Go to this link to find out!The story can be read in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea and is well worth your while: https://wikis.westchesterlibraries.or... ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 4 | votes 84 | # times read 2 | date started not set not set | date read not set not set | date added Jun 26, 2023 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Great Apes | title Great Apes | author Self, Will | isbn 0802135765 | isbn13 9780802135766 | asin 0802135765 | num pages 416pp | avg rating 3.66 | num ratings 3,564 | date pub 1997 | date pub edition Aug 11, 1998 | Kevin's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review **"An ape, a most ill-favoured beast. How like us in all the rest."** —CiceroPerhaps paying homage to Kafka's Metamorphosis, or Boulle's Planet of the **"An ape, a most ill-favoured beast. How like us in all the rest."** —CiceroPerhaps paying homage to Kafka's Metamorphosis, or Boulle's Planet of the Apes, English satirist, Will Self (he of the lugubrious physiognomy) pens an allegorical tale wherein a prominent London artist wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a suited-and-booted ape in a world run by apes. Without further ado, I must confess that I found the story rather too self-indulgent and wearisome for my liking. Halfway through, I dialled my eyes to their 'speed-read' setting and peeled myself a banana. I had assumed that Self's writing would have me beating my chest with joy. He is, after all, a renowned intellectual over here in the UK, often seen tying academics and politicians into knots on various TV shows with his deadpan verbosity. I've long enjoyed seeing him speak with great authority on anything from highbrow literature to Kellogg's cornflakes. The man is indisputably a force to be reckoned with. Alas, the book was as adolescent as it was cerebral (the ribald schoolboy humour soon wore thin). The fact of the matter is this: Will Self is far, far cleverer than I, so maybe his book deserved a more discerning reader.Y'know what? I think I'll just knuckle-walk quietly back to my tree and scratch my armpits. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 7 | votes 102 | # times read 1 | date started May 21, 2023 | date read May 27, 2023 | date added May 27, 2023 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Pilot (Planet Gallywood #2) | title The Pilot(Planet Gallywood #2) | author Gillsmith, Andrew * | isbn | isbn13 | asin B0DN8DKW7X | num pages unknown | avg rating 4.88 | num ratings 42 | date pub Apr 07, 2023 | date pub edition unknown | Kevin's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review With the ghost of Douglas Adams peering over his shoulders, author Andrew Gillsmith sets his warp drive to the max and brings us another fast-paced sc With the ghost of Douglas Adams peering over his shoulders, author Andrew Gillsmith sets his warp drive to the max and brings us another fast-paced sci-fi romp in his *Planet Gallywood* series. The story is told by an intergalactic writer whose congenial 'come-hither' style of narration treats us as if we were old friends. After their escape from the doomed planet of Rexos-4 (in the first book), Elvie Renfro, adoptive mother of Gus Tfliximop, the most famous child in the galaxy, has set up home on BH-90120 (clever!), an ostentatious planet known for its blinged-up boulevards and its potty-mouthed macaws. The plot centres on a fiendish plot to kidnap the chosen child. Readers of the first instalment will not be at all surprised to discover that 'Cruella de Vil' TV exec, Betty Neezquaff, has her DNA all over this. In true Gillsmith style, the caper is liberally sprinkled with avant-garde ideas and innovative wordplay. I genuinely laughed out loud at the mere mention of a Stanley Codswallop and also welcomed the introduction of a singing chimney sweep whose extravagant use of Cockney rhyming slang instantly put me in mind of the Artful Dodger high on crack cocaine. I loved Dick 'Cor Blimey' Van Dyke's character in Mary Poppins, so this was right up my street.I must confess that the humour, at times, was a little too juvenile for my taste, but then so was 'The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy' when I watched it as a hard-bitten teenager, so please take no notice. That aside, there was much to love about a boisterous and philosophical escapade which included a swarm of talking flies, a space mafioso, a nanny dog with a passion for chimney sweeps, and a very pleasing nod to Yoda. Great knockabout fun for sci-fi fans. I really enjoyed it! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 28 | votes 35 | # times read 1 | date started May 24, 2023 | date read May 25, 2023 | date added May 25, 2023 | owned | format Unknown Binding | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover A Country Doctor's Notebook | title A Country Doctor's Notebook | author bulgakov-mikhail | isbn 0099529564 | isbn13 9780099529569 | asin 0099529564 | num pages 158pp | avg rating 4.29 | num ratings 21,998 | date pub 1925 | date pub edition Jan 01, 2001 | Kevin's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Feb 09, 2023 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Final Season (Planet Gallywood #1) | title The Final Season(Planet Gallywood #1) | author Gillsmith, Andrew * | isbn | isbn13 9798367783919 | asin B0BRYY11XJ | num pages 166pp | avg rating 4.36 | num ratings 428 | date pub Jan 08, 2023 | date pub edition Jan 08, 2023 | Kevin's rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review **"Optimism had all but vanished from Rexos-4 millennia before, when one of Gumpilos’s ancestors had calculated that the planet would be obliterated_** "Optimism had all but vanished from Rexos-4 millennia before, when one of Gumpilos’s ancestors had calculated that the planet would be obliterated by a rogue star on a quite specific date in the then-distant future. That date was now a mere nine months away…" The lugubrious inhabitants of Rexos-4, a doomed planet in a distant star system, are completely oblivious to the fact that their daily exploits are being broadcast to a galaxy-wide TV audience numbering several billion.But cometh the hour, cometh the man. From within this outlying biosphere of malcontents, layabouts and doomsayers, there exists one shining light; a virtuous citizen by the name of Gumpilos Tfliximop (try saying that when you've had a few tequilas), who - to the disgruntlement of his peers - happens to be an incurable optimist.So, when Gumpilos's heart is stolen by uncongenial barista, Cniphia Obgulagong (who wouldn't ordinarily give such a nonentity the time of day), I just knew that this was shaping up to be a whole lot of fun! Rather bonnily, Gumpilos speaks like Bertie Wooster, which further enhanced his likeability factor, and he remained my favourite character throughout.Author Andrew Gillsmith succeeds in bringing together a whimsical and philosophical sci-fi yarn with enough laugh-out-loud moments to amuse even the most obdurate of sourpusses. This is a novella that would appeal to fans of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Kurt Vonnegut. Added to the mix, and wonderfully depicted, is the villainess (are we still allowed to say villainess?) of the piece; cutthroat TV executive, Betty Neezquaff (think Cruella de Vil-meets-Anna Wintour).It soon becomes clear that Gillsmith is in possession of a fully-functioning moral compass. In the most agreeable of ways, and amidst a maelstrom of rambunctious gaiety, he rails against climate change deniers, nihilists, anarchists, and conspiracy theorists. Irrespective of this being a fanciful book that doesn't take itself too seriously, it does nevertheless carry a very serious message.There was never a dull moment; the story was innovative and highly entertaining. And I won't be giving too much away by saying that the ending caught me by surprise to the extent that it brought a lump to my throat.Bravo, Andrew Gillsmith! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 45 | votes 84 | # times read 1 | date started Jan 15, 2023 | date read Jan 17, 2023 | date added Jan 17, 2023 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | |

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