Susan Hasler is an ex-CIA analyst - that was probably what interested me about this book. That and the plot - the book is about a CIA analyst who is dragged into a situation where the government is trying to build a case against attacking Iran and are using the CIA to provide the fodder.
The book has a nice plot, but the writing leaves something to be desired- I do not think any novel should be written in the present continuous tense if the narrators have to retain any credibility. It is so hard to empathize with a sleuth about the hours they put in, if you are feeling that they spend more time explaining what they are doing something rather than actually doing it. It probably would make a great airline book, but nothing more.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Book 17: The good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman
I was listening to an interview with Pullman on BBC and was drawn to what the author said about this book - which was this one made it to my reading list.
The book according to the cover is "a story of how stories become stories." A very apt description. The plot is thus- Mary has twins- Jesus and Christ. Jesus is the staunch believer- the one who believes completely that "the Kingdom" is coming soon. Christ is the weaker younger brother who is more a believer in organized religion. It was quiet interesting - but probably not as much as I thought I would.
The book according to the cover is "a story of how stories become stories." A very apt description. The plot is thus- Mary has twins- Jesus and Christ. Jesus is the staunch believer- the one who believes completely that "the Kingdom" is coming soon. Christ is the weaker younger brother who is more a believer in organized religion. It was quiet interesting - but probably not as much as I thought I would.
Book 16: The Railway Children - Edith Nesbit
I reluctantly got back to my Telegraph's list for this book - but with happy consequences. I think I should stick to Children's books from now on. They are an easy read and make an excellent match with my tastes.
The book reminded me a lot of the works of Enid Blyton- another perennial favorite. This one reminded me a bit of "The Family at Red Roofs" from Blyton. It is about this little family of five- I don't think they ever mention the family name who go through some hard times. The mother and the three kids move to a small house in the country- close to a railway line. So the kids have improbably adventures and pretty much save everyone. The book is typical of the age and genre- is written as a chatty narrative between a kid and a kindly granny, has little morals penciled in and random questions posed to the reader which would probably be great for an adult reading to a child.
And all this of course makes it difficult for me to write this- I really enjoyed reading the book.
The book reminded me a lot of the works of Enid Blyton- another perennial favorite. This one reminded me a bit of "The Family at Red Roofs" from Blyton. It is about this little family of five- I don't think they ever mention the family name who go through some hard times. The mother and the three kids move to a small house in the country- close to a railway line. So the kids have improbably adventures and pretty much save everyone. The book is typical of the age and genre- is written as a chatty narrative between a kid and a kindly granny, has little morals penciled in and random questions posed to the reader which would probably be great for an adult reading to a child.
And all this of course makes it difficult for me to write this- I really enjoyed reading the book.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)