Review:A lot of veiled homoerotic imagery, much of which today would be considered borderline pedophilia. Bogged down by repetitive illusions to the Greek ideals of beauty. Not on narrative par with Buddenbrooks or The Magic Mountain. Best suited for those who wish to say they've read all of Thomas Mann's work. Read more

Review:A lot of veiled homoerotic imagery, much of which today would be considered borderline pedophilia. Bogged down by repetitive illusions to the Greek ideals of beauty. Not on narrative par with Buddenbrooks or The Magic Mountain. Best suited for those who wish to say they've read all of Thomas Mann's work. Read more

Review:If you love Russian Literature or have a passion for Dostoevsky, then this is a must. If not, not so much. The story is narrated and uneven. Characterization is excellent, but characters whom you thought might be central to the story, often become side-lined. Some of the scenes are ponderous and at first you might want to give up, but the personalities and story tighten and grow on you. Some scenes are riveting. Particularly interesting is Dostoevsky's use if his own experience of being condemne... Read more

Review:A fascinating view into a wretched little man's mind, albeit one that feels very real and alive. Perhaps many of us have bits of this wretchedness within us. I am lucky due to the circumstances of my development to not suffer envy, but I do recognise other unpleasant aspects of this man in me. For instance, the tendency to observe people and decide I'd really rather not interact with 99% of them, and then lament my own isolation and solitude. The underground man's tirade on irrationality, choice... Read more

Review:So disappointed - bought this solely because it won a Pulitzer. Writing was heavy handed and the vocabulary condescending. Seriously, how many times is too many to use the work "bourgeoisie" in the first few pages. Compared to elegant Siddhartha, this book is a mess. Read more

Review:It’s 1996. Two brothers, ten and thirteen, walk into a busy Delhi market with their twelve-year-old friend. The brothers are Hindu, the friend, Muslim. As they arrive, a terrorist bomb explodes, instantly killing the two brothers but only slightly wounding their friend. Karan Mahajan’s novel, The Association of Small Bombs, explores the consequences of this attack from every perspective over the years that follow. He traces the lives of the brothers’ parents, the surviving boy and his parents, t... Read more

Review:This book is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it because I started to read it when I started running on a regular basis, and the author's thoughts echoed my own. Perhaps my favourite Murakami book yet. Read more

Review:Although this book has potential, I found the writing to be stilted, the characters needed more development, and the plot developed slowly. I would have continued reading to see whether it grew on me, but decided to stop after three instances of objectionable language in only three chapters. Read more

Review:Really enjoyed this thriller by John Ling. Surprisingly consuming story that pulls the reader in and makes you late for work. Ok that part was my own fault but I had issues putting this book down. I want a follow up story once I'm out of trouble at work. Read more

Review:Parrot and Olivier is least interesting as a commentary on French Society (one-dimensional) and really fun when it describes the odd economic and social behavior of 19-century America. Don't expect a historical tour-de-force, but do expect fun, interesting characters that make you think about the good and bad of American Free enterprise. Read more