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stuckinthebook's Reviews (248)
2021 marks the 125th anniversary of F.Scott Fitzgerald and to celebrate his lifetime and work, Michael Farris Smith has given voice to one of the most famous unreliable narrators of all time…Nick Carraway.
Giving him his own story, NICK tells the tale of the man before Gatsby, breathing life into a character that is famous for being on the side lines.
Before Nick Carraway moved to West Egg and into Gatsby’s world, he was at the centre of a very different story – one taking place along the trenches and deep within the tunnels of World War I. Floundering in the wake of the destruction he witnessed first-hand, Nick embarks on a redemptive journey that takes him from a whirlwind Paris romance – doomed from the very beginning – to the dizzying frenzy of New Orleans, rife with its own flavour of debauchery and violence.
As you all know, I’m a huge lover of classics and The Great Gatsby has to be one of my favourite books because in just over 200 pages, the most incredible story takes place. In NICK, the story is just as exciting and was the perfect escapism I needed. Very different from The Great Gatsby, NICK is a far more focused on the violence and lawlessness of pre-prohibition America, and provides a stunning depiction of life post-WW1. With compelling characters and a sense of uneasiness, this book beautifully and cyclically provides a real understanding of the loss and guilt caused by war.
By the end, I was ready to read The Great Gatsby for the one millionth time! Thank you to No Exit Press for approving my advanced copy on NetGalley.
Giving him his own story, NICK tells the tale of the man before Gatsby, breathing life into a character that is famous for being on the side lines.
Before Nick Carraway moved to West Egg and into Gatsby’s world, he was at the centre of a very different story – one taking place along the trenches and deep within the tunnels of World War I. Floundering in the wake of the destruction he witnessed first-hand, Nick embarks on a redemptive journey that takes him from a whirlwind Paris romance – doomed from the very beginning – to the dizzying frenzy of New Orleans, rife with its own flavour of debauchery and violence.
As you all know, I’m a huge lover of classics and The Great Gatsby has to be one of my favourite books because in just over 200 pages, the most incredible story takes place. In NICK, the story is just as exciting and was the perfect escapism I needed. Very different from The Great Gatsby, NICK is a far more focused on the violence and lawlessness of pre-prohibition America, and provides a stunning depiction of life post-WW1. With compelling characters and a sense of uneasiness, this book beautifully and cyclically provides a real understanding of the loss and guilt caused by war.
By the end, I was ready to read The Great Gatsby for the one millionth time! Thank you to No Exit Press for approving my advanced copy on NetGalley.
Re-read this with the 'Let's Get Classical' Book Club and loved it just as much as I did the first time around.
I was lucky enough to be approved to receive an ARC of this book by Canongate on Netgalley and it has to be one of the most moving books I’ve read in a long time.
It covers some really interesting topics, the most poignant being the destruction and ruin of a small African village as a result of a large American oil company to set up business there. In doing so, the company’s oil pipelines and drilling sites have ruined crops and poisoned the village’s water supply.
It’s a devastating tale of destruction and loss but one that incorporates selfishness and greed. The village is full of residents who are fuelled by emotion and anger, not just at Pexton (the American oil company) but at each other and as a result, no one knows the best action to take as the majority of villagers are driven by their own motives.
The book incorporates a range of different narratives and through these characters, we gain insight into different perspectives and how that shapes their lives and opinions. What was deeply moving for me was watching the children of the ‘Pexton generation’ grow up and retell their experiences of when Pexton first arrived on their soil.
It is an incredible story and journey to take yourself on and one I thoroughly enjoyed, however not an easy read and one that made me reflect on how awful it must be to have your life overturned by big corporations with big bank balances.
It covers some really interesting topics, the most poignant being the destruction and ruin of a small African village as a result of a large American oil company to set up business there. In doing so, the company’s oil pipelines and drilling sites have ruined crops and poisoned the village’s water supply.
It’s a devastating tale of destruction and loss but one that incorporates selfishness and greed. The village is full of residents who are fuelled by emotion and anger, not just at Pexton (the American oil company) but at each other and as a result, no one knows the best action to take as the majority of villagers are driven by their own motives.
The book incorporates a range of different narratives and through these characters, we gain insight into different perspectives and how that shapes their lives and opinions. What was deeply moving for me was watching the children of the ‘Pexton generation’ grow up and retell their experiences of when Pexton first arrived on their soil.
It is an incredible story and journey to take yourself on and one I thoroughly enjoyed, however not an easy read and one that made me reflect on how awful it must be to have your life overturned by big corporations with big bank balances.
They say that books are one of the best forms of escapism, and when they say that they mean books like Dangerous Women. The setting of this book is done so superbly, you feel like you know exactly what image the author is describing. The setting makes you feel like you are there, watching and listening to all the women surrounding you.
The book fluctuates between narrators and this excellently adds to the story and the narrative of women’s experiences in the 1800s. The different narratives also allowed me to understand different women’s perspectives and outlooks of the time, as well as helping me to draw an emotional connection with each character.
So, I was then shocked to hear that the book was inspired by a true historic event. The Rajah voyage actually did transport 180 convicts to Tasmania (as it is now known) in which 18 women crafted a patchwork quilt, which is held at the National Gallery of Australia. Therefore, the book for me, beautifully mixed fiction and history, with female empowerment and survival right at its very heart.
Being a HUGE history nerd myself, it is no doubt that my favourite part about this book was the sheer historical context/research that went into its making. I can’t begin to imagine how much research the author must have undertaken to achieve the very feeling that you’ve stepped back in time, but for me, that was the most enjoyable experience.
Dangerous Women gives a voice to the women who were on-board this voyage in such a clever and raw way, that you read this book like you have been allowed to step onto that very same voyage with them. With the murder mystery/thriller aspect of the novel also making you catch a glimpse of just how frightening it must have been for these women, I think Hope Adams has done a fantastic job of creating a novel that celebrates women, sisterhood, and friendship.
I would like to say a huge thank you to Gaby Young and Michael Joseph for my gifted ARC andfor inviting me to be part of the blog tour!.
The book fluctuates between narrators and this excellently adds to the story and the narrative of women’s experiences in the 1800s. The different narratives also allowed me to understand different women’s perspectives and outlooks of the time, as well as helping me to draw an emotional connection with each character.
So, I was then shocked to hear that the book was inspired by a true historic event. The Rajah voyage actually did transport 180 convicts to Tasmania (as it is now known) in which 18 women crafted a patchwork quilt, which is held at the National Gallery of Australia. Therefore, the book for me, beautifully mixed fiction and history, with female empowerment and survival right at its very heart.
Being a HUGE history nerd myself, it is no doubt that my favourite part about this book was the sheer historical context/research that went into its making. I can’t begin to imagine how much research the author must have undertaken to achieve the very feeling that you’ve stepped back in time, but for me, that was the most enjoyable experience.
Dangerous Women gives a voice to the women who were on-board this voyage in such a clever and raw way, that you read this book like you have been allowed to step onto that very same voyage with them. With the murder mystery/thriller aspect of the novel also making you catch a glimpse of just how frightening it must have been for these women, I think Hope Adams has done a fantastic job of creating a novel that celebrates women, sisterhood, and friendship.
I would like to say a huge thank you to Gaby Young and Michael Joseph for my gifted ARC andfor inviting me to be part of the blog tour!.
Hmm OK where do I start with this? This book was recently longlisted for the 2021 Womens Prize and I have seen MIXED reviews across bookstagram, book twitter and goodreads. So I made myself go into this book not expecting much…
And for the most part it was good. The chapters were short and the story kept me enticed and interested. Without going too deep into the story, it’s basically about a young girl who is teaching in Hong Kong and moves in with a rich man who she ends up sleeping with. He goes back to London and she meets this girl and also starts sleeping with her and it all becomes a big, weird love triangle.
So as you can see the story is interesting and there are some real gems in this where the main character is discussing love/friendship/relationships etc and I feel like I really emphasised with those feelings.
YET…
I don’t really understand why the book was set in Hong Kong as there were no real cultural elements of the story that made it important for the book to be set here? Oh, and the main character was incredibly annoying. I also think that the book has been compared to Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ just because this author is also Irish. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE.
On the face of it, yes, I enjoyed it more than I thought. Is it the best book I’ve ever read? No.
Apologies for the rant, but this book is definitely one that I’d say read, just so you can say you’ve read it and join in the discussion!
And for the most part it was good. The chapters were short and the story kept me enticed and interested. Without going too deep into the story, it’s basically about a young girl who is teaching in Hong Kong and moves in with a rich man who she ends up sleeping with. He goes back to London and she meets this girl and also starts sleeping with her and it all becomes a big, weird love triangle.
So as you can see the story is interesting and there are some real gems in this where the main character is discussing love/friendship/relationships etc and I feel like I really emphasised with those feelings.
YET…
I don’t really understand why the book was set in Hong Kong as there were no real cultural elements of the story that made it important for the book to be set here? Oh, and the main character was incredibly annoying. I also think that the book has been compared to Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ just because this author is also Irish. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE.
On the face of it, yes, I enjoyed it more than I thought. Is it the best book I’ve ever read? No.
Apologies for the rant, but this book is definitely one that I’d say read, just so you can say you’ve read it and join in the discussion!
Well I’m sure you’ve heard of the author Kazuo Ishiguro and you may have even heard of/read his Nobel Prize winning book, ‘Never Let Me Go’! Yet I was always reluctant to read any of his books, foolishly branding them as ‘not my kinda thing’.
Yet here I am not UTTERLY in love with the way Kazuo writes and the stories he creates.
‘Klara and The Sun’ is about a robot (Klara) who, like many other robots, has been designed to be a child’s companion. Yet this is no ordinary robot/science fiction novel. Klara is VERY different from the other robots and is very socially aware and observant. So when she is picked to be the companion of a very sick child, Klara cannot help herself but try to understand the dynamic and history between the child and her unusual mother.
This book took me marvellously by surprise and I found the story easy to follow and gripping. I wanted to try and figure out the back story before it was given and I especially loved all the topics this book explored!
Yet here I am not UTTERLY in love with the way Kazuo writes and the stories he creates.
‘Klara and The Sun’ is about a robot (Klara) who, like many other robots, has been designed to be a child’s companion. Yet this is no ordinary robot/science fiction novel. Klara is VERY different from the other robots and is very socially aware and observant. So when she is picked to be the companion of a very sick child, Klara cannot help herself but try to understand the dynamic and history between the child and her unusual mother.
This book took me marvellously by surprise and I found the story easy to follow and gripping. I wanted to try and figure out the back story before it was given and I especially loved all the topics this book explored!