Book Reviews
I have been reading books since before I can remember. When I started my first day of school, at age five and a half, I already knew how to read and write. I had learnt with the aid of the comics my grandmother used to buy for me. The only problem was that I only knew how to print, as comic dialogue is rendered in all caps. However, my reading habit was already in place.
Since then, books have been a constant source of delight and escapism, and now I enjoy reviewing them. If you would like me to review your book, please make sure it falls within the categories I currently favour. The Review Request page has all the details. |
Book of the Moment
Riding a Strong Wind by Robertson Tait
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I have not read many good collections of short stories but was captivated by the quality and originality of the writing after reading an excerpt. The book itself was a wonderful surprise as it contains nine very different stories, some short and sweet, others long enough to be novellettas. In each case, the setting becomes almost a protagonist, described with such skill and passion that it really comes alive.
I found the characters to be fairly realistic and as well fleshed out as the story requires (which is, in itself, a rare skill), so that in the longer stories (Villa d'Este, Barra, Montmartre) the protagonists have a stronger presence, while in the shorter ones (Tobago is the best example, but Amsterdam is a close second) they don't even have names. The reader's intelligence is trusted to fill in the blanks and there is never any doubt as to who “he” and “she” are, like archetypal symbolic representations of the male and female essence. There are some pretty strong female characters who often control the situation and it's easy (and refreshing) to see that the author really likes and respects women. The overriding theme is romantic love in its various manifestations, and there are some charming episodes as well as some steamy scenes but treated in such a uniquely classy way that the effect, for me anyway, was truly mesmerizing. |
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