The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
If this had been shorter. I am sure I would have loved it. But it just went on and on and it took me most of last night and this morning to get through. I loved the plot, and even the opening by Victor LaValle. But the whole book just wanders and then eventually we get to what I consider an odd and open-ended ending. At least I had a chance to read this while I had candles burning nearby. “The Sundial” with an introduction […]
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Why is it when it’s a “Classic” I go…yeah this is not for me. I am really regretting not listening to this one. I heard it’s better that way. Trying to read this via my phone browser (yep, could not download as an e-book) was another pain which is why it took me so long to get through it. It’s fine, just not that interesting after a while. Reading about an invasion of aliens from Mars would probably have scared me prior to watching E.T., […]
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A month or two before, I would have been appalled at the idea of any murder at all. But that Sunday afternoon, as I actually stood watching one, it seemed the easiest thing in the world. ― Donna Tartt, The Secret History “Time, and repeated screenings, have endowed the memory with a menace the original did not possess. -Donna Tartt, The Secret History Based on my experience reading The Goldfinch, I knew that my next Donna Tartt book would be a serious undertaking. After being […]
House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
CBR BINGO 14: Scandal, because heroine Lily Bart is undone by scandals The House of Mirth has been on my list since I first fell in love with The Age of Innocence a quarter of a century ago. Nobody writes the glamour and treachery of Old New York as deliciously as Edith Wharton. I’ve been putting off writing this review because I wasn’t sure how I felt about the novel. I definitely prefer it to Ethan Frome, but it falls short of my favorite Wharton. Yet as time […]
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells
One of the hazards inherent in reading older science fiction (especially sff published before the turn of the century!) is that the science just wasn’t there at the time it was written, and in some unfortunate cases like this one (where we now understand a hell of a lot more about biology and evolution), that makes the book more of a time capsule than a thrilling tale. At least, it did for me. The Island of Doctor Moreau follows Edward Prendick, sole survivor of of […]
The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
This book did my head in, in a good way. The ending was astounding. And I loved how you have to wonder about certain characters/things that happened after the fact. Really well done by du Maurier. The only reason why I gave this 4 stars though is that parts of this book are so freaking slow. It feels at times things are moving underwater and then they pick up again. I get du Maurier is setting the stage so to speak though with John of […]
