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The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
1965 | Action, Classics, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Before Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy there was the bleaker, 1960s John le Carré, who wrote the novel upon which this film is based when the cold war was at its coolest. This meditation on spy-craft by Martin Ritt is Brit-noir at its finest. Richard Burton as the alcoholic Alec Leamas oozes arrogance and desperation in equal measure, and with wonderful performances by Claire Bloom and the always interesting Oskar Werner, this is a spy movie Bergman could have made. An unusual saxophone-driven score of terrific atmosphere—I once chased all over London to find it, returning home to find the album disappointingly did not feature the best cues."

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ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Truth in Books

Sep 24, 2019  
The Truth
The Truth
Naomi Joy | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
So what is the truth?
If you like unreliable narrators, then this is the book for you. The Truth is in fact questionable - not the book, the narrators version of events. What can I say without giving the game away? Well, no one in this novel is someone that you’d want to know, they all do immoral, unpleasant things, and I enjoyed it 🤷🏼‍♀️

I do like an unlikeable main character, and even though when I was reading this, I was telling myself that I should give her a chance, and that circumstances had made her the way she was, I still found her thoroughly unfriendly and rude.

The last third of the novel was particularly good, and really made the book for me. Everything is explained, and it was utterly fascinating: the fact that this is based on a true story blew my mind!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Naomi Joy for reading along.
  
The Long Drop
The Long Drop
Denise Mina | 2017 | Crime
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first book I've read by Denise Mina, but it won't be the last! I found this novel instantly exciting and by the time I got to 30% I was hooked and couldn't put it down, finally finishing it at 1:30 in the morning. This novel drips with menace and chills you to the bone in some parts, it's really a fantastic and quick thriller read.

This book tells the story of Peter Manuel, real life Scottish serial killer. Like with so many other books on the market nowadays, this is a non-fic-fiction novel. It's based its contents on real events but the author has weaved a story around it too.

What's so striking about this novel is Mina's ability to tell a story. The story flowed brilliantly and it never lost my interest, even when we started getting into some of the more in-depth and historic facts about Glasgow. The writing style is short and snappy, so you really feel yourself racing through this.

Characters. Oh wow, the characters. Somehow, you feel simultaneously angry and empathetic for everyone in this book, even Peter Manuel, the serial killer. Mina's character development is superb and you find yourself getting drawn into each person's story so quickly. We follow Peter Manuel and William Watt throughout most of this novel, but there are small scenes popped in that introduce characters we only meet once throughout the entire book, yet I still felt like I knew them and I still invested myself in their stories, no matter how short.

Overall, this book was really superb and if you're looking for something dark, but quick to read, this is the book for you. At only 240 pages, you'll find yourself racing through this! I can't wait to read more of Mina's work, if it's all as good as this one.